A Pirate's Love - Part One
by Twisty87
Summary: Maura Isles is kidnapped by ruthless pirates and held captive by the Rizzoli siblings...but will she make it back home to her fiancee or will the ill tempered Jane Rizzoli capture her heart?
1. Chapter 1

**Hey everyone, hope you are all good. This is part one of a very long story that I never intended to be so long so I apologize for that. I haven't ever written a story before, I've attempted but never finished so please bear with me and be kind. This is only part one, be sure to look out for part two on here as well :)**

**Jane and Maura's personalities are a little different from the show but I have tried to make some similarities, and ****Jane doesn't enter into the story until Chapter 10 but she is in it for the rest so don't let that throw you. I used a pirate translator to make them sound more real and it can be a bit hard to understand at first but it does get easier to read the more you read it. **

**It's rated M for swearing, some crude scenes and some violence so if any of this isn't your cup of tea you should probably not read, it isn't suitable for kids either.**

**I am aware it isn't that historically accurate either but I have tried to make it seem so and I am also sorry for any bad grammar and spelling screw ups.**

**A massive thank you to everyone who takes the time to read or comment, I hope you enjoy reading :)**

**Boston 1812**

**Chapter One**

The sun came up slowly, it almost seemed as though it was hesitating, and wanting to spare a certain doctor her day of what at times seemed like endless patients. At least this is what the good doctor thought as she lay in bed that morning. No that wasn't possible she mentally reprimanded herself. The sun was merely slower to rise because it was signaling the beginning of winter. The doctors second favorite season. The first was spring, definitely spring. Sighing audibly, she stretched and rose to greet the fresh chill that hit her now her many layers of blankets no longer shielded her from it. Rubbing her hands over her arms she attempted to warm herself up to no avail. She didn't mind anyway, the cold was refreshing, the air was crisp, and the city seemed stilled. She smiled a small smile and was just about to begin dressing when she heard a soft knock on her door. Sighing she called out quietly.

"Come in Trudy."

Trudy stepped in and smiled warmly at the doctor. Although she attempted to hide the affection, she had for the doctor she failed for a moment before masking her emotions and walking towards her. Doctor Isles was like a daughter to Trudy.

"Good morning Maura. How are you my love?"

Maura always found Trudy's endearments amusing and wonderful at the same time. Trudy was more than her maid; she was her friend, the mother she never knew. She held so much love for her she was concerned her heart would literally burst at times like this, in their quiet times before Maura's busy schedule took over her days. Shaking her head she once again she mentally scolded herself. She was a doctor; she knew it was physically impossible for her heart, for anyone's heart to actually burst because of emotions. _Really Maura, you think the oddest things sometimes. _

"Good morning Trudy. I am great thank you, how are you?" She couldn't help but smile warmly at Trudy.

"Good Maura, I am good, you look like your positively glowing this morning, what has you so happy child?"

Maura's smile widened further, a cheerful glint in her eyes, "Oh Trudy it's just such a beautiful morning, the cold is wonderful don't you think"?

Trudy scoffed and rolled her light grey eyes, the web of wrinkles beside each deepening as she smacked the doctor playfully on the arm.

"Child you know the answer to that. The cold is miserable, it isn't good for my old bones here, they protest something fierce".

"Well I shall have to do something about that won't I?"

"Nonsense, I can take care of myself my dear".

"As I have been telling you the same of myself for quite some time now. You don't need to take care of me; I am a grown woman of thirty seven years".

Although Maura was indeed frustrated by having someone, even Trudy, do practically everything for her she could quite confidently do herself, she did have to admit she loved having her around. She was, apart from her father, fiancee and few friends the biggest source of joy in Maura's life. But she had always been quite independent and somewhat anti-social from a young age. She believed fiercely that she needn't trouble a grown woman to look after her every need and whim when she was very capable to do so herself. The only reason Maura had relented to being taken care of all these years was the fact that Trudy needed to look after her. She was an extremely kind and giving woman, it was her nature to nurture and she longed to nurture Maura, regardless of her age, social status, occupation, anything. Maura, although gifted with a uniquely talented ability to retain great amounts of information was not as gifted in her abilities when it came to socializing with human beings. There where exceptions of course, those people being the ones closest to her, but for the most part Maura Isles was unquestionably socially inept. Even with this unfortunate lack of social skills Maura had learned to read facial cues and most often than not decipher what a person was feeling or thinking by reading their face. She had read in Trudy from a young age that the woman's gift was taking care of others, and Maura was by far too kind to stop Trudy from being exactly who she was, what was in every fiber of her being. It was this and the close relationship they had weaved throughout the years that kept Maura from dismissing Trudy, from turning her over to another woman of high social status to take care of. Maura knew her life would never be the same if this woman with grey eyes, even greyer hair, plump of girth and love where to leave her. She was interrupted from her thoughts by the said woman.

"Maura, child, we have this same conversation at least once every week and I shall continue to give you the same answer if it becomes the death of me." She took Maura's soft delicate hands in her own calloused, wrinkled ones, "As far as I am concerned you are my daughter, and it my greatest pleasure to look after you like a mother does her child."

"Oh I know Trudy I know, I just worry about you, you're not getting any younger, pardon my frankness, and you shouldn't be taking care of me, you should be taking care of yourself."

Trudy dropped Maura's hands unceremoniously and rolled her eyes once more, "For an exceptionally smart woman you can be as dumb as a sack of door knobs sometimes by dear child." At Maura's raised eyebrows and urge to protest Trudy held up her hand "No, enough, you will be late if you don't stop fussing with me". Before she turned to go to Maura's oversized walk in closet Maura caught the sheen of tears in the older woman's eyes and immediately regretted what she had said. Perhaps in these moments of conversation Trudy believed Maura was actually trying to get rid of her as if she was no longer cared for, as if all they had shared together meant nothing. Maura successfully stopped her own tears from welling and made a mental note to assure Trudy and quell her fears. But for now she did indeed to have to get ready, her patients weren't going to disappear; the day would not wait for her.

**J&M**

After Trudy had finished getting Maura ready for her day Maura thanked her with a kiss to her plump cheek and grateful smile before heading out of her spacious, luxurious bedroom and headed downstairs in search of her father. She knew at this time the most likely place he would be was the dining room, the exact direction she was now heading. Upon entering the dining room however her father was not there. Maura's brow creased slightly as her warm hazel eyes gazed expectantly around the formal dining area, hoping to see her father walk in any moment. When this moment failed to arrive after a few minutes Maura knew he must be tied up in other more important matters and had likely had breakfast earlier. It was a rare occurrence as she and her father loved dinning together but when it did happen there was usually nothing he could do about it. He was after all an important and reputable lawyer who owned his own firm in the center of the bustling city. Maura was disappointed but nevertheless gathered herself and went to the kitchen. Upon entering the kitchen, she was immediately bombarded by a handful of young maids whom all adored Maura. She quite often thought her father had too many servants just to take care of the two of them and had told him so repeatedly only to be shushed and reprimanded gently, "Poppycock my dear Maura, they all have their place, and I feel better you are well cared for. Besides I enjoy being able to employ them, I give them an honest wage so they won't have to struggle. They can live comfortably now and it will help immensely once they are married". This was her father's constant and unrelenting argument and she did have to admit he was right. She loved him all the more for being so generous and understanding to the women he employed. Women weren't often looked upon with such kindness and value by men.

"Maura, Maura..." Emily squealed as she dove into Maura's chest, her slim arms like a vice around Maura's middle. Maura chuckled lightly and gasped at the same time hugging Emily back nervously. She had only been employed by Richard Isles for a month but already she had wormed her way snugly into Maura's heart. Emily was still so young, fifteen in fact and had not once thought of Maura as an oddity. Maura's love of science, nature and strange terminology never made Emily shy away from her or think of her as weird. As a matter of fact it only drew the young girl closer to her; she had never met a woman such as Maura Isles. She was unique and so kind. A vast difference to other snooty, too good, fussy women she had encountered throughout her short life. Yes, Maura was certainly different, but Emily thought the world of Doctor Isles.

"How are you Maura? I missed you so". Emily said emphatically into Maura's shoulder, having yet to release Maura from her surprisingly strong embrace. Maura Isles was impossibly kind, but she was not a hugger. She didn't hug, it made her uncomfortable. There were only a few people she hugged in her life, and even then it was a struggle. She rarely showed physical affection, preferring to remain more reserved and keep her hands to herself. There were of course exceptions, such as this very moment, but she still felt awkward and unsure of herself as she hugged Emily. Emily however didn't seem to notice as she let go of Maura, her smile big and bright.  
>"You missed me? Why it's only been one night love."<p>

"I know but you're my friend."

"As I am yours Emily." Maura's heart warmed at Emily's declaration, she was such a sweet young girl.

"Have you had your breakfast?"

"Yes, porridge, it was yummy".

"Only because you drowned it in honey Emily." Dafeny said rolling her eyes dramatically.

"What's wrong with that?" Emily countered defensively.

"Nothing only that Miss Isles asked you what you had for breakfast and you said porridge. I think you meant honey."

It was now Emily's turn to roll her eyes; Dafney was such a drama queen. The taller, more boyish and brash of the two girls. She was sarcastic and loved to stir Emily tirelessly. Emily however usually gave as good as she got. The two of them were like peas in a pod; they hardly left each others sides. They always competed for Miss Isle's attention but it was only in jest, they knew she liked them both. Dafney had been working for Richard a year and at first Maura had struggled with her sass and sarcasm, opting to avoid the seventeen year old as much as possible. She scoffed at herself for being so taken back by a mere seventeen year old girl but a socially awkward Maura simply did not know what to say or how to act. But that was the past, as much as Maura avoided Dafney, Dafney refused to be ignored and eventually the two found a comfortable rhythm and Maura realized Dafney's sarcasm and brash remarks weren't intended to hurt her, it was just the way the girl was.

"You're so not funny Dafney." Emily stated flatly.

Dafney's teal eyes sparkled with mischief as she hit Emily with her dish cloth and went back to cleaning the kitchen.

"Miss Isles…um what would you li…like for breakfast."

The voice was so quiet and demur Maura struggled to hear what was being said to her above the lively noise in the kitchen. She turned her head sideways to see the mousy brown hair of the quietest of the three girls Melany.

"I'm sorry Melany honey, what did you say?" Maura asked her ears straining to hear the small girl.

Melany earned an eye roll from Emily as she blushed and tried again, "I um Miss Isles, I asked what…what you would like for breakfast?" Her wide brown eyes, bushing cheeks and small freckles were endearing and Maura smiled genuinely. Of the three young girls she felt closest in personality to Melany. She was practically a smaller version of the doctor the only exception being their appearances and the glasses that sat perched atop her small upturned nose, which only served to make her already large eyes larger. Doctor Isles did not need glasses. Richard had paid for Melany's glasses despite her parents objections. They were quite poor and could not afford to get the glasses their daughter needed to be able to see properly. Melany's parents however much embarrassed were also ever grateful to Mr. Isles and insistent that they would pay him back. Richard of course thought this preposterous but eventually relented once he saw the stubborn determination from Melanie's father. He knew the man was embarrassed with his inability to look after his family as he wished. Richard didn't want the man's pride to take further battering so he agreed to the money being repaid but only as they could afford to.

"Hmm…" Maura placed one hand on her hip and the fingers of her other hand on her lips pretending to take great seriousness in the question and how to answer which earned a giggle from both girls.

"I think I shall have porridge, two pieces of toast, a bowl of fruit and a cup of tea please Melany, thank you for asking." She smiled freely at both girls and after chatting with them awhile more went back to the dining room to wait for her breakfast.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

Once her breakfast arrived Maura tucked into it with relish, albeit her short and slim frame she was a hearty eater. She remembered the first time her fiance Garrett had taken her to dinner at an expensive and popular restaurant, his surprise and mirth as he watched her eat a tremendous amount of food for such a small woman evident. She was sorely embarrassed by the amount of food she had consumed in front of him and it took a fair amount of persuading on Garrett's behalf to assure her he was quite okay with her food intake. He liked that she had a hardy appetite.

After breakfast Maura said her goodbyes and left her father's three story townhouse to begin her day. To say that it had been a tough journey to become a doctor in this era was deeply understated. Maura had wanted to be a doctor since she could walk. She had only been practicing for two years, but her fight to become a doctor had lasted much much longer. She had fought with tooth and nail, her wonderful father beside her for over ten years to the right to practice medicine. All Maura had ever wanted to do was make sick people well again and when she learned early in her life that women were not permitted to practice medicine Maura had been devastated and appalled. She knew no logical, factual or physical reason that a woman couldn't be a doctor. But it was strictly a man's profession. A male dominated society. Men made the rules and regulations and women had no choice but to abide by them or risk societal outcast. Maura had struggled throughout her teenage years coming to terms with the lack of professions offered to her. It was considered a woman's place to get married, bare children and raise them. To have their feminine input and qualities not allowed in the public work force was considered an immense shame to Maura. So she spent a lot of time in books. All sorts of books, anything she could get her hands on, they made her happy. Her main passions were medicine and science; enthusiastically she could spend hours each day with her freckled nose in her father's books or books from the library. It was empowering for Maura to learn, to expand her knowledge. Of course it wasn't considered proper nor appropriate for a woman to even read of such material but Maura read as much and as regularly as possible anyway. This never put her in good stead with other young women her age who were too busy gushing over males, hair and makeup, balls and parties to be interested in anything Maura ever had to say to them and that only alienated her more and made her more reserved and awkward around people.

Maura began walking briskly towards the small doctor's practice she worked at, the cold air pervaded through her many layers of clothing, and her cheeks turned a rosy pink. Having lived in Boston her whole life she knew it would begin to snow soon and she was excited by this, she loved the snow. She loved sitting in her father's study by the large fireplace reading while he sat as his desk and did paperwork.

Her warm breath met the air in white puffs and gasps as Maura's heart rate increased and once there she opened the glass door, and heard the little bells jingling overhead as she walked though. It was not the biggest Doctors surgery in Boston, the most impressive; in fact, it was rather plain. Maura did not own the practice, nor was she the manager but none of this bothered her in the slightest she was just immensely grateful to be a doctor and to be making a difference in people's lives. What did bother her was the man standing in front of her. He had just come out of one of the small surgery rooms and was ogling her distastefully. She quickly became aware she was doing the exact same thing to him and quickly hid her annoyance for the man. Doctor Pike was her boss. Maura was noticeably kind, but when it came to Doctor Pike she found it gave her a headache every day just trying to be civil with the man. He was by far the most ludicrous, pompous, absurd man she had ever met. Why he actually hired her or continued to keep her working at the practice was beyond Maura. Sighing she felt herself bristling as Doctor Pike walked towards her satisfactorily invading her personal space which annoyed Maura even more.

"Doctor Isles." He stared her down.

"Doctor Pike." She eyed him warily as she took a step backwards so that he was no longer in her personal space.

"You're late Miss Isles."

Maura resisted the urge to roll her hazel eyes, "Yes it seems I am two minutes late, I apologize Doctor Pike". Getting into an argument with the man over being two minutes late was not worth the hassle, it was easier to make nice with him, and if she did she would be away from him quicker.

"Yes well…just make sure it doesn't happen again Miss Isles or I will be forced to dismiss you."

_Why you have not dismissed me already is what I am more interested in knowing. Clearly we dislike each other. You are such an odd man._

Maura glanced over Doctor Pike's face, from the top of his wispy ginger grey hair, past his clear blue eyes covered by round glasses to his thin disapproving mouth. The man was a severely incompetent doctor and that frustrated Maura greatly. This man did not have a passion for being a doctor, it was clear her boss did not care overly much for his patients; he was more concerned with the money he was making. His skills were lackluster and this was not acceptable to Maura. That this halfhearted man was allowed to practice medicine while women all over Boston who would be genuinely fantastic doctors were not allowed to become them. Never the less as much as Maura wanted to tell the man to buzz off she knew she couldn't jeopardize her position as a doctor. The hard work she had put into becoming one would be lost in an instant if she let a silly, strange man get the better of her. Besides she was an inspiration, a slither of hope to women all over Boston who wanted more in life that more in life could in fact happen. No she would not let her position and all her hard work be destroyed by this oaf.

"Yes I understand Doctor Pike…I am sorry I am late."

He stared at her dumbly for a moment, "Well…that is all…you have lots of patients Maura, please get a move on, these people are more important than your personal life."  
>Maura bristled once more but held her tongue. <em>Stupid ignorant buffoon!<em>

"Doctor Pike, if you'll excuse me." She took her leave and went to the small preparation room at the back of the practice.

_I have a headache coming on already…not even five minutes in the man's company. Five minutes. It is just impossible to like him!_

Maura decided to shake off the run in with Pike; she did not want the man to ruin her day. All the medical instruments and first aid was stored in the preparation room and Maura grabbed what she would need in general throughout her day and made sure her doctors bag was adequately stocked with general medical supplies. She was painstakingly particular and by the time she was finished her doctors bag was close to overflowing…she would struggle carting it around later on when she called on her house patients but didn't mind, she would rather be safe than sorry where her patients were concerned, she was every bit the professional. After going back and forth to set up her examination room she was ready for her first patient of the day an elderly man by the name of Francis Colt. As he mumbled and shuffled his way into the exam room Maura smiled gently. Mr. Colt did not like visiting the doctors. But his wife who sat in the small, plain waiting room was a stubborn old dear and not one to be trifled with.

"Damn woman." Francis muttered under his breath before couching dryly. Maura smiled internally but ignored his remark.

"Good morning Mr. Colt…what can I do for you?"

"Good? What's good about it?" He eyed her suspiciously.

Not knowing how to respond Maura simply continued, "Mr. Colt what are your symptoms?"

"Damn asthma is playing up again. I told Gloria it wasn't that bad and I could manage it but the woman is as stubborn as an old goat. Women? Huh! I ain't even allowed to be the man in my own house."

"What exactly are your symptoms Mr. Colt?"

"Argh you know doc…couching, short of breath, tight chest, wheezing all the usual." He waved his gnarled hands animatedly; his gruff features tight with disgust, Maura knew he would rather be anywhere but here. He was one of her long term patients. It was always the same.

"Okay. I shall just have a listen to your chest."

Maura removed her stethoscope from the desk drawer, hung it around her neck and began to listen to Mr. Colt's chest. As she moved it around his chest she spoke, "What activities have you been getting up to?" His chest indeed did sound quite blocked.

He eyed her suspiciously once more, "Nothing I don't usually do. I've been walking and playing golf."

"Have you been smoking?"

He looked away sheepishly for a few moments.

_Oh Mr. Colt I told you, you needed to stop smoking those horrible cigars!_

"Yes doc…not many, only a couple a week." He coughed loudly and drily once more as if to help support what Maura had just been thinking.

"Mr. Colt you are only making things worse by smoking. We have been over this quite a few times. It's important you not smoke. You can develop asthmatic bronchitis. Bronchitis is an inflammation of the mucous membranes of the bronchi, the larger and medium-sized airways that carry airflow from the trachea into the more distal parts of the lung parenchyma. Smoking when your asthmatic will simply aggravate the condition and it can become bronchitis. I'm quite surprised you haven't developed it yet."

She looked back at Mr. Colt and he was staring back blankly. It was then she realized she had gone off on one of her medical rants and lost the man, he was confused by her medical talk. She flushed from embarrassment at Mr. Colt's continued silence.

"Uh…um Mr. Colt, this is serious, you need to stop smoking. I am sorry to do this but I shall have to have a chat with your wife. Do you really want to be in here all the time unwell?"

He appeared to shake off the medical jargon and confusion at the mention of his wife knowing he still smoked, "Oh doc please don't tell the old crone I will never hear the end of it. That," he pointed a bony finger at her accusingly, "Will be the death of me; I swear it, not this bronchitis or whatever it is."

Maura sighed, opened and closed her mouth a few times before letting a slight chuckle pass her lips.

_Stubborn old man you are Francis!_

"Well I will give you a choice then. You promise me to stop smoking and I won't have to tell your wife. I think this is quite reasonable don't you?"

He muttered something Maura couldn't quite catch under his breath before finally agreeing to her proposal. She asked him a few more questions, explained how to continue to treat and manage his asthma and told him to go easy on his exercise until it had cleared up. After grudgingly accepting her help and saying thank you she said goodbye and had a good chuckle and shake of her head before greeting her next patient. It would be a long day.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

Maura had finished with all her morning patients and was ready for lunch before calling on her last two patients of the day. Mondays were generally the busiest day for her but today oddly was not the case. The morning had been but this afternoon was quiet. Maura didn't mind though, she would be home earlier to help with preparations for tonight. Her fiance Garrett was joining her and her father for dinner and she was very pleased with this arrangement. She had not seen Garrett in a week, he had been immensely busy with work but he had managed to find time for dinner tonight to which Maura was grateful, she missed him terribly. Or she figured that was what this aching feeling in her chest was supposed to mean. Trudy and the girls were also going to help finish off preparing her dress for the Annual Boston Society Ball. Maura had mixed feelings about attending but wasn't going to dwell on it at this very moment in case she started to panic, she did not want Doctor Pike or anyone else to see her in such a state. Maura instead turned her attention to her rather large salad for lunch and sighed in appreciation as she took her first mouthful, it was crisp, fresh and full of flavor, just as she liked it, she would have to thank the girls for preparing it for her. It didn't take her long to finish off her salad she was hungry, but she never let her hunger get in the way of manners, she ate very carefully and delicately.

"Right, off to Mrs. Townsteads".

Maura hailed a carriage and the driver graciously got down to open the door and help her in. Mrs. Townsteads was on the outskirts of town, one of the run down, degraded sections. It hurt Maura to go there each week and see all the poverty and miserableness in people eyes. She wanted to help them all, but there was only so much one woman could do, so she helped out where she could. Tapping on the top of the carriage roof the driver set of, he already knew where she wanted to go, it was Joshua who drove her to Mrs. Townsteads once a week, it was too dangerous to walk alone so far. Joshua was only a young man, nineteen but he was quiet, gracious, and always insisted on waiting for her to finish her visit to take her to her next patients and Maura was ever grateful for his simple kindness to her. He never spoke much and that was actually fine by Maura, words weren't necessary, he knew she was grateful. The carriage ride took about twenty minutes and Maura busied herself by getting lost in the passing scenery outside the window of the carriage. The city was positively bustling with life. The smells alone were enough to fascinate Maura.

There were so many her nose had trouble keeping up with them. From the smell of fresh bread and fish though the markets, to hay and manure, open sewage and smoke there was just too much to process. Little children ran alongside the slower carriages much to chagrin of their parents, women with parasols, men with expensive suits at their arms paraded the sidewalks, groups of British troops stood alert on every corner or marched around the city keeping order where needed. Their stark white pants and bright red coats were hard to miss; Maura thought their coats were similar to the brighter color of oxygenated blood rather than the darker red of deoxygenated blood. The markets were some of the busiest parts of the city, people swept in in droves, bunched into large courtyards like sardines caught in a net. The poor haggled and begged, pigs, stray cats, and stray dogs hung around hoping to catch some of the fair or to find a morsel of dropped food. Pigeons sat on every roof top, rustling their feathers, cooing, preening and leaving their excrement in white sheets down the walls of most buildings weather churches, shacks, taverns or people's houses, they didn't discriminate.

They made their way past the long expanse of docks along cobbled roads, Joshua doing his best to avoid running people over. Maura absolutely loved the ships that lined up proudly at each dock, their sails high and white reaching far into the sky. There were British and Spanish ships of all types, Frigates, Brigs and a few smaller Schooners scattered here and there as well as trade ships bringing in all manner of goods from tables and chairs to stews and dried venison to trade at the General Stores. Maura's hazel eyes winded appreciatively in wonder as they settled on a gigantic British Man of War that was not docked last week. She could not see all of it, not gaze up at all its glorious height because the window was too small to allow her to do so. But the sheer magnitude in its size from what she saw took her breath away. Maura had never once been on a ship, but they intrigued her none the less. They were a stunning example of what humans were capable of creating if they worked together as a let herself drift into thought and wonder what it would be like to be upon a ship when she was startled by a loud bang and high pitched whinnying from the horses.

Maura was at once on alert and nervous until she located the source of the noise that had effectively hindered her and Joshua's progress in the carriage. Two sailors were participating in a fist fight and apparently one had punched the other and he had flailed backwards and crashed into a fish stand, which collapsed and left the fuming sailor covered in slime and fish scales. He attempted to stand up but slipped on a fish and fell back into the fish gunk. Maura was both appalled and fascinated as she watched the man eventually gain his footing and send a jarring right hook to the other sailor's nose which erupted in blood that covered both the men. The sailor with the broken nose staggered backwards in shock and pain before shaking his head and charging the other sailor. Connecting with his torso they went down in a tangle of muscled arms and legs into the fish once more. The vendor of the fish stand was hysterically running around shouting obscenities at the two sailors and pulling frantically at his balding hair. Maura briefly wondered if he would pull out what was remaining of his brown hair. Just when it looked as though the vendor was about to jump into the fight three British troops arrived and took control of the fighting men. One was quite large in girth and huffed uncontrollably from his run to get to the sailors, his face was red and he was sweating something terrible. Joshua's dark handsome face appeared at the window suddenly startling Maura once more so that she bounced back slightly in her seat, her slim hand over her heart. Joshua was contrite as he opened the door.

"I'm sorry Miss Isles I didn't mean to startle you," At Maura's nod of understanding he continued, "We will have to wait a little while until this mess is cleaned up, we are blocked in Mam."

"That's quite alright Joshua there's nothing that can be done, though I must say that was rather exciting." She said a tad breathlessly. One of Joshua's dark eyebrows rose slightly, and Maura assumed he wasn't used to hearing such statements from lady's such as herself. He simply shrugged and said, "Yes Mam, I will let you know when we are ready to go." He closed to door and disappeared from Maura's sight.

_Well done Maura now Joshua thinks you are a simpering ninny. _

Maura leaned her head of golden curls back against the carriage seat and rubbed gently at her temples. _Why do I always say the wrong things? _

She was about to lose herself to a pity session when again the horses whinnied and jerked the carriage forward nearly sending Maura to the floor between the two carriage seats. She shifted and straightened out her simple attire making sure no wrinkles were forming, she liked to look professional and tidy no matter the situation. The horses were obviously getting spooked by all the activity and people still gawking at the broken fish stand as Joshua and a few other men were helping the vendor clean aside the mess to make way for traffic once more. Once it was all cleaned Joshua came to inform her they were ready and they set off again. Maura arrived at Mrs. Townstead's house at least twenty minutes late and kept apologizing profusely to the visibly pregnant woman. Mrs. Townstead or Lindy as she insisted Maura call her was totally understanding of Maura's situation and shuffled her inside her meager dwelling offering her a stale biscuit in an attempt to shut her up. Maura accepted it and with an effort ate the bland biscuit slowly so as not to break her teeth, it was that stale. It was very unappetizing but she knew she would offend Mrs. Townstead if she didn't eat it, what little Lindy had she offered freely to Maura and she couldn't reject that.

"Is the biscuit okay." Maura tensed and sat up straighter than she already was.

_Goodness what can I say? I can't lie, I'll get hives! _

Unbeknownst to Maura she was wringing her hands in front of her while she thought of a way to not lie, not only was it inconceivable but it was also impossible for Maura Isles to lie. Whenever she lied she broke out in an angry crimson rash. She was unable to lie but to compensate she had become quite adept at changing the subject or deflecting questions.

"Maura are you okay you seem stressed."

"Hmm…?" Maura glanced down to her wringing hands.

_Darn it!_

"Oh…oh I guess let's start your examination Lindy."

Lindy raised her thin brows quizzically but said nothing as Maura stood and grabbed her bag.

"Let's go to your room and you can lie down."

Once Lindy was lying comfortably Maura pulled out her stethoscope as Lindy unbuttoned her jacket and pulled up her blouse.

"This will be a little cold," Lindy nodded and Maura set about listening to her heartbeat and listening for any abnormal sounds from the baby. Having heard nothing abnormal Maura took Lindy's blood pressure, checked her temperature and had a general feel of her stomach. Everything was perfectly normal and satisfactory for this stage in her pregnancy Maura finished off by asking her general pregnancy questions and Lindy's answers served to confirm that her second pregnancy was coming along just fine. The whole appointment took about half an hour and Maura left for her last appointment for the day. Joshua was waiting for her and she gave him the address for the next patient. This appointment took a little longer than usual but Maura was finished by late afternoon and had Joshua take her back to the practice and once she had finished some paperwork Maura made her way out and began walking home. She wanted to get away as quickly as possible to avoid Doctor Pike. Picking up her pace in the cold air; she was more and more excited as she knew she was going to see Garrett tonight. As she opened the door to her father's townhouse, she hurried through the hallway through the dining room towards the back to her father's study. Knocking soundly on the large wooden door she held her ear to it and waited for a reply. She heard a gruff clearing of his throat then a deep, "Come in."

She opened the door a small way, slipped in and shut it behind her softly. Her father was sitting behind his impressive oak desk, a cigar in one hand, his glasses perched snugly atop his broad nose.

"Hello my dear Maura. How are you? How was your day?"

"Hello father. I'm great; my day was interesting but good."

"Come dear, come sit down."

Maura walked eagerly towards her father, skirting his desk she kissed the top of his head, her nosed tickled by his thick black hair and wrapped her slim arms around him from behind. He covered Maura's hands with his own much bigger ones and squeezed them gently, chuckling deep in his throat.

"I'm sorry about this morning Maura, I'm coming up to the start of a trial and I shall be a lot busier for the next few days."

"It's okay father I understand." She inhaled deeply; drawing the smell of his cigar and spicy cologne, his warm manly smell always comforted and soothed her. She didn't like smoking, but the smell of her father's sweet cigars was such a part of him.

"So why was your day interesting?"

"Well it wasn't as busy as usual but I did get to watch a brawl between two sailors at the docks."

"What? Why were you at the docks?"

"My weekly check up with Mrs. Townstead, I go past the docks. Two sailors were fighting and one got knocked into a fish stand and it collapsed in the way of the carriage."

"Well," Richard laughed, "I'm sure that would have been interesting."

Maura chuckled, "I couldn't work out weather I was more appalled or intrigued."

She stood up and went back around the front of the desk to sit in his comfortable leather lounge chair. It was impossible not to like his lounge; it was soft with split leather with bits of stuffing seeping out here and there. It had been his fathers, and he refused to get rid of it. Maura was glad he didn't she loved having something of her grandfathers that she could use and remember him by, even if she was only a little girl when he passed away. Her father's study was her favorite place in the townhouse. It was masculine and dark yet held coziness that was calming and relaxing to Maura. When she was stressed or worried she would find herself in his study.

_He is a beautiful man._ Maura studied her father, his black hair was sliced through with grey which gave him a distinguished air and his eyes were the same piercing hazel as her own. His beard was thick and wavy, yet neatly groomed to suit his strong cheekbones. Yes her father was a beautiful man inside and out.

"What are you thinking Maura?"

She had been caught out studying him and blushed lightly.

"I was just thinking how handsome you are".

He chuckled deeply once more, "You're going to give me a big head Maura if you keep saying things like that."

"I only speak the truth father."

"Okay, okay enough, what have you organized for supper tonight."

Maura snuggled further back into the lounge chair.

"Roast Beef and Pigeon Pie, with Strawberry Tart and wine for dessert. Is this okay?"

"More than okay, you're quite capable of organizing delicious food Maura."  
>"Thank you father. I think I shall go and check how it is coming along then get ready. Garrett is still coming at seven?"<p>

"Yes he would have come earlier, he told me he misses you, but he has to finish up his paper work and talk with a client."

Maura regretfully removed herself from her father's comfortable lounge chair, kissed his cheek and went to the kitchen. All the girls and Trudy were busy preparing the nights supper, it smelled wonderful and Maura's taste buds were jerked to attention. She herself was an excellent cook and could never resist helping with the cooking even though it wasn't considered appropriate for the lady of the house to cook, this was what servants were for. But Maura drew great pleasure from cooking and sharing her creations with her father, fiance and her father's dinner guests when he held parties or business meetings. She was greeted happily by all four women and in no time had on an apron and was stirring the filling of the pigeon pie. She spent about an hour in the kitchen helping and chatting with the ladies before her and Trudy left to get Maura ready for the night. Maura sat on top her large plush bed and sunk into the comforter; wiggling around to get more comfortable she only sunk further into her bed's softness and ended up on her back in an exasperated lump.

"Child what on earth are you going," Trudy giggled, "It isn't time for sleep yet."

Maura was still trying to get herself back upright when she felt Trudy's sturdy hand on her solder helping her sit back up. She turned sideways and eyed the bed threateningly before smoothing out her dress and acting like the whole incident never happened. Trudy just shook her head and told Maura to stand so she could help her out of her clothes for a bath. Maura had a small bathroom attached to her bedroom. It contained a deep claw foot bath that sat atop a beautifully ornate rug Maura had chosen for its design and soft shades. The bath was in the center of the room and to the side was a small wash basin and lovely small mirror decorated in gold filigree. The bath was already filled and steaming awaiting her presence and Maura thanked Trudy as she helped her out of her remaining shift and stockings.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four**

After a brief fuss between the two women, Trudy huffed and left Maura to her own devices as she felt like being alone to relax and have some privacy. She moaned softly as she sunk down gladly into the heated water that had been brought up by the bucket load, it felt glorious. She rested and simply enjoyed the heat for a while before grabbing the Rose scented soap, dunking her thick blonde curls and lathering them thoroughly. It felt good to get the days dust and grime off her body, she was ever thankful for a hot bath at the end of the day. She took extra care, more so than usual to make sure she was presentable for Garrett. She had only known him a year but it somehow felt longer than that. They first met when Maura was introduced to him at one of her father's business dinners. He had started working with Richard at his firm only a few months before and Richard was so impressed with him that he took him under his wing eager to teach Garrett all the knowledge he had accumulated over his life as a lawyer. She remembered it clearly like it was only yesterday; the minute she had walked into the dining room so her father could introduce her to the men Garrett had finished what he was saying to Richard and turned to look in her direction as all the other men were doing. Their eyes met and his light brown ones widened perceptibly and his mouth hung open slightly. They had stared at each other awhile Maura becoming increasingly nervous at his open study of her, she knew by his facial expressions he was appraising her and found her attractive. She had blushed and become frustrated at his continued staring until her father had cleared his throat and brought Garrett back to the present. He had been a tad embarrassed to be caught staring openly at her in front of her father and the other lawyers and had cleared his throat and sat up straighter in his chair.

"As I can see you have already taken notice Garrett," Richard was fighting a smile, "But I would like you all to meet my only child Doctor Maura Isles."

At the title Garret's head shot once again to Maura but he kept his surprise to his eyes only and not his whole face. It seemed as though the other men were quite surprised as well, but also baffled and disapproving. Some cleared their throats, others murmured doctor between them but they refrained from saying anything inappropriate even though their hostile glances said it all for them. But they did not want to insult their boss in the slightest so they pretended to congratulate her. If Richard was aware of their disapproval he never made it known, he was smiling broadly at his Maura, in whom he had never been more proud of. Garrett on the other hand was different from the other men, surprised yes but there was a note of respect and admiration in those light brown eyes which Maura had not expected to find, she was taken back from it but also strangely smug by the idea that this handsome stranger seemed to approve of her being a doctor in a man's world. That was all she had seen of Garrett for the next few days until her father had come home and announced quite casually that Garrett the man whom she had met at his meeting would like to take her on a date. Maura had nearly choked on the tea she had been sipping and stared at her father in amazement.

"He wants to what!"  
>"Take you on a date dear. Why whatever is the matter you're quite pale all of a sudden."<p>

Maura's hands were visibly shaking as she set down her teacup; she hadn't been on many dates in her life only three to be exact. And that was after much more courting, well, attempted courting, before she had accepted. Needless to say they had never gone well. Once the suitors had begun to realize she was smart, independent, and had a habit of blurting out pointless information or facts they had run for the hills. No man, at least it seemed that way to Maura, wanted a wife who was as smart if not smarter than himself. So Maura had after those shocking dates in her early twenties given up on finding someone who would accept her for who she was. She forgot about men and began instead fighting to become a doctor. If she never found a partner in her life time she was not that concerned, although the loneliness she felt at times was unbearable and made her question her own decisions.

"Father he…he asked me on a date? Wh…why?"

Richard stared at her as if she had grown a second head, "Why to get to know you of course love, I have a speaking suspicion he is quite smitten with you already."

That was more information than Maura could handle and she buried her hands in her soft blonde hair, thankfully she was already seated or she would have been on the floor right now.

"Maura what is the matter?" Richard had gone down on his knees in front of Maura and gently pulled her chin up in his large hand making eye contact with her.

"Maura?" he questioned worriedly.

"Father…I…I don't even know the man. It…I mean don't you think it's a bit forward to go on a date with a man I don't know?"

"Maura my love you don't have to accept, I would never make you do something you're uncomfortable with. And yes it is rather forward but I have known Garrett a few months now and he is a good dependable man. I know how lonely you get Maura, you wear your loneliness around like a cloak at times and no matter how hard you try hide it I see it. I just want you to be happy my sweet. That's all I've ever wanted for you."

Maura's beautiful hazel eyes were glassed over with tears and she had to blink a few times to clear her vision.

"I…I had no idea you knew of my loneliness father."

"I see a lot more then you realize."

"You're a wonderful man." She had leaned forward and wrapped her arms tightly around his shoulders squeezing him tightly. She did not mind this hug one single bit. He laughed loudly and pulled out her arms.  
>"Enough or you shall suffocate me in your bear hug. So…," he said standing up, "What shall you do?"<p>

Maura looked up at him contemplating.

"Can I have a little while to think about it?"  
>"Of course, I shall let Garrett know you are thinking over his proposal."<p>

And for the time being the matter was dropped, her father had been right. Over the coming days Richard had not pushed, prodded or even brought up Garrett at all, he let Maura make her owns decisions about who she wanted to date.

"Good heavens Maura what are you still doing in the bath!"

Maura jumped and dropped the soap, startled out of her musings by a rather loud Trudy. A little bit of the bath water splashed over the side of the tub onto her rug.

_Darn!_

She was usually so careful not to get it wet.

"Maura the water is stone cold…honestly are you trying to catch a cold?"

Maura looked down at her slim nakedness and realized she had broken out in goose bumps and the water was indeed cold. Much more noticeable and annoying, her fingers and toes had begun to prune. She did not want Garrett holding prune hands.

"Oh darn, my hands are all wrinkled."

Trudy made a clucking noise, "At least yours will disappear, mine however do not. Come on Maura get out before I pull you out."

She felt like she was five years old as she stood and shivered her way out of the bath and into the big white fluffy towel Trudy held open for her, leaving only her eyes upward peeking out the top. Since her arms were wrapped tightly Trudy steered her back into her bedroom and Maura fought to be free of the towel. The feeling of being five again continued and she sighed impatiently her words muffled by the towel, "Trudy please get this towel off me I wish to dry myself properly."

Trudy eyed her then did as requested and Maura set about drying her hair. Trudy helped her into her undergarments followed by her yellow poppy evening gown, which fitted Maura's ample bosom, slight flair of hips and backside like a silk glove. The yellow of the dress brought out her already stunning eyes and hinted at the lighter shades of blonde in her hair. Walking over to her full length wooden mirror she studied her dress making sure it was sitting just right and without wrinkle or crease. Her breasts were very modestly on display, Maura did not find dresses in which a woman's breasts practically fell out of attractive, she was no strumpet. She was however well aware of her assets and the affect they had on men but that did not mean she needed to parade them around every chance she got.

She had quite often caught men doing one of two things when she was at university. Staring at her with barely concealed malice, or at her breasts in barely concealed lust. Maura was unnerved by their glares but simply held her head high and tried not to let them affect her.

"Right I shall have Emily do my makeup and Melany can do my hair."

"Maura your skin is too lovely to hide under makeup. I think a tinge of lipstick and eye shadow is all you need." Maura had no chance to protest if she wanted to because all three girls abruptly came giggling and chatting into her room to help her finish off.

**J&M**

Garrett Fairfield stood outside Richard Isles townhouse and resisted the urge to shuffle his feet. He felt like a little boy on his first day at school, nervous yet excited. He hadn't seen Maura in a week but it felt like a lifetime to him. He had never been this enamored by a woman before, this caught up. It had always, always been the other way round, the women chased him. But here he was at forty years old chasing Doctor Maura Isles around like a love struck puppy. He couldn't believe it, wasn't quite sure he wanted to. There was something about the woman he was yet to put his finger on, something that drew him to her with irresistible force. As he waited outside to be let in he tried to figure out what it was about Maura that had him so overcome. She was strikingly beautiful of that he was well aware; he often had a hard time keeping his eyes on hers and not was the smartest woman he knew or ever had known she was kind, polite and in fact funny.

Garrett considered her profession as a doctor. When he first learned she was a doctor he had been totally taken back by this knowledge. Here was this woman standing before him, and not only was she gorgeous she had the brains to match her beauty. Instead of being feeling belittled by her profession he found it immensely refreshing and admired her that she had obviously fought for what she wanted from life. Yes here was someone intelligent and clever, someone who matched him in smarts. Her only flaw he had yet to find was her inability to hold a decent conversation in pubic without embarrassing herself or sprouting lists of facts that no one cared about or quite knew what to do with. She was socially awkward and inwardly Garrett cringed slightly. If she were to be his wife she would be expected to attend many balls, parties and celebrations. He was a well-respected, esteemed man and having a beautiful woman on his arm such as Miss Isles would only improve this a hundred fold. But Garrett was not without hope. He himself was quite the public speaker and would over time help Maura with her social skills until she was as charming and witty as he was. No there were many things he liked and admired about Maura but not one he could pinpoint exactly that drew him in, perhaps it was just a combination of everything about her. She was definitely wife material, nothing at all like all the other simpering, vein women he had been with over the years, nor was she vulgar and brash like the countless whores he had bedded on the sly. He was about to knock on the door once more thinking no one had heard his first knock but as he raised his fisted hand Richard Isles opened the door.

"Good evening Garrett, how are you my boy?"

Garrett disliked being called 'my boy'; he was no longer a boy but a full-grown man. But he did very much like and respect Richard.

"Good evening Richard, I am well thank you. How are you?"  
>"Fine my good lad, fine. Do come in Maura is anxious to see you."<br>Lad was another distasteful endearment Garrett did not like but didn't care about once he heard that Maura was anxious to see him.

He stepped in and shook Richards hand firmly, "So where is Maura?" he inquired politely.

Richard laughed and patted him on the back, "Ever eager I see. She is awaiting you in the lounge room. You may go to her. I shall see you both in the dining room when you are ready."  
>"Thank you Richard." Garrett smiled genuinely and went to find Maura; he would talk business with Richard later on tonight.<p>

He found Maura in the lounge room facing away from him, gazing out the window towards the streets. He sucked in a small breath at the sight of her having never seen anything more beautiful. He did not very much fancy yellow on her, but a dress was something that could be removed. Her golden hair shone and hung in wavy curls down her back. He followed her hair and let his gaze continue further down towards her derriere. Magic. Simply magic. His loin's tightened unexpectedly and he cursed silently.

_Calm yourself Garrett; it will do you no good to greet her with a raging erection!_

He stepped closer to her yet she still didn't hear him, she must have been quite focused on what was outside.

"Maura?" He announced gruffly.

She started and turned immediately. Upon seeing him her eyes lit up and she smiled warmly.

"Hello my darling." He said an equally warm smile on his own face.

"Hello Garrett," Maura spoke quietly, "How are you? I've missed you".

Garrett took a few more steps until he was directly in front of her. He looked down upon her slightly upturned face and resisted the urge to kiss her soundly; they weren't at that stage yet much to his frustration. Light pecks on the cheeks or hands were more appropriate. Tonight though at some point he would change that.

"I am well dear, I have missed you too. More so than I think polite to be honest."

This earned him a light chuckle, "Oh Garrett. You missed me too?" Her slender eyebrow rose slightly.

"Yes. Greatly. How are you Maura?"

She looked up at him, "Good, much better now you're here."

Garrett smirked and kissed her quickly on the cheek before taking her hand, "Come let's go to dinner shall we?"

"Oh…oh yes…of course." Maura tightened her grip on his larger hand and let him lead the way, masking her disappointment as she was hoping for more time alone with Garrett. He only just arrived.

**J&M**

Despite the fact that she didn't have much time alone with Garrett before dinner, it was still a complete success, she was happy. Happy that Garrett was beside her laughing and joining in with her and her father's odd jokes and stories. The main course and dessert were both equally delicious and Maura received much praise from Garrett and her father. Garrett continued to be amazed at how much food she could eat and still remain so slim.

Afterward the both of them were about to retire to Richards study for cigars, whiskey and business when Maura politely interrupted.

"Father would you mind if I was to come with you? I would love to hear about this case you are working on I saw how excited you were before in your study and I am dying to know what has you so pleased."

Richard needed no further prompting, "That's fine dear I don't mind at all."

Richard had never been against his daughters desire to learn, he never tried to stifle her longing to become smarter, he was very proud of his daughter. He tried his best never to hold anything back from her, to include her and make her feel welcome. It never occurred to him that because she was a woman she was unable to learn or be a part of certain things men were privy to. He had been surprised at first by her desire to become a doctor, and had explained that women were not permitted to be doctors but he never belittled her or her dreams, never said she couldn't do anything she put her mind to. He just stated the facts and watched in amazement how eventually she chose to fight the odds with his help. She was a very strong and brave woman and he loved her dearly.

He looked across to Garrett in time to notice a flicker of unease in his brown eyes, he knew Garrett had no problem with his daughter being a doctor but perhaps he had his reservations about her listening into their line of work.

"Garrett is this okay with you?"

He seemed taken back and unsure of the question for a moment before replying, "Yes its fine I just didn't expect it." For some reason he didn't quite like that Maura was about to become privy to their case, even if she always shared her work with him. Testily he admitted defeat and all three rose to retire to Richards study.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five**

"So you're confident Charles Vane will be hung for piracy?" Garrett stated thoughtfully as he ran his index finger in a circle over his whiskey glass, he had brought a chair from the dining room and was sitting in front of Richards desk. Maura was sitting primly on the lounge chair and Richard was standing, his broad shoulders facing them as he looked out into the night, hands clasped behind his back. Both Maura and Garrett watched him waiting for a reply or movement. When none seemed forth coming Garrett cleared his throat and Richard turned towards him.

"Oh yes my boy, sorry I was just lost in thought," He made his way to his chair before continuing, "I am completely confident Charles will be hung yes. All the evidence we have points squarely to his involvement with piracy on the high seas."

Garrett took a quick glance at Maura to check for any unease at the mention of hanging; all he found was an alert excitement in her eyes.

"Do you have something you wish to say Garrett? Do you doubt he is guilty?"  
>Garrett seemed surprised, "No, no he is definitely guilty, I believe that I just wanted you're opinion. Your opinion matters to me Richard."<p>

"What has this Charles Vane done exactly?" Maura chimed in.

Richard scoffed, "Oh what hasn't he done. Murder, rape, theft, smuggling, sailing under false colors, vandalism, kidnapping."

"Arson, depravity, impersonating the Royal Navy," Garrett added angrily.

"Yes I'm afraid his list of crimes is grim and long."

They were all silent a few moments, lost in their own thoughts, considering.

"What happens if he isn't found guilty?"

Richard raised a dark bushy eyebrow, "Well I don't see that happening, but in the unfortunate instance it does, we will have no choice but to release him back to his debauchery. But we have air tight evidence against him and many witnesses to prove he is indeed guilty of all those crimes and more. And finally thank God he has been caught and is in jail. There is no possible way we can lose, this man will and must pay for his crimes."

Maura found all this very exciting, so much so she wanted to go to this Charles Vane's trial and see him formally charged for all the wrong he had committed. After work tomorrow she had Wednesday and Thursday off, but she knew she would not be able to attend the trial, her days off were already filled with other activates she had planned, still she saw no harm in asking about it.

"How long do you except the trail to last father?"

"Well he was brought in on a British Navy Frigate a week ago, and has been in jail since then awaiting his trail which will start Wednesday and I can't be sure but I suspect Friday or Saturday the verdict will be given."

"Well I hope that Charles Vane is found undeniably guilty and hung for his crimes, he sounds like a hideous man who has no concern or thought for others but himself. As from what I've read in books it seems as though all pirates share exactly the same qualities as this Charles Vane. How a person can be so cruel and vile is beyond my comprehension."

"You are right Maura; I have had many an experience with pirates over the years. They are all the same without a doubt, every single sorry one of them, filthy, disgusting excuses for human beings without hearts or compassion. Charles deserves to be hung, every pirate does. There is no room in a proper structured society for rebels like them."

"Agreed." Garrett said with conviction.

The men finished their whiskeys before Richard said his good nights to retire for an early bedtime, he trusted Garrett to be alone with Maura, knowing he would not take advantage of her. As Richard headed to bed and Garrett and Maura out to the balcony, none of them could ever fathom that it wouldn't be long until each of their lives took a dramatic change, particularly Maura's. Her life would take a dangerous and uncertain turn. All she knew, all she thought she knew was soon to be irreversibly turned upside down, taken apart and viewed in a brand new light.

**J&M**

Charles Vane punched the stonewall violently, cursing as the pain shot up his right arm, "Fuck!" Punching the cell wall once more he again let out a frustrated, "Fuck!" He turned from the wall and began pacing as much as the small two by two cell would allow him.

"Stupid fuckin' bastards ortin' ta ben here by now." He muttered as blood dripped from the cuts in his knuckles to the hard packed dirt at his feet.

"I swear on me mother's grave I will kill em myself if they be nay here soon."

He ran his hand through his long and tangled brown hair effectively spreading blood through it, his stupid men were supposed to be at his cell window over an hour ago. Charles had no clock but knew by the setting sun that Jack and Benjamin were late for their rendezvous, he spat and was about to sit down when he heard something hit the cell wall from outside. Craning his neck to look through the rusted window bars he tried to make out the shapes of his mates in the moon light. After minutes passed with nothing happening Charles swore again. Then he heard it again, the same sound of something hitting the wall. Again he stuck his face angrily to the bars and watched. It was then he made out two bulky shadows stumbling towards his cell through the high grass and scrubs. He waited impatiently until he was sure the dark shadows were indeed Jack, Benjamin, and not two guards before he called out in a soft grunt, "I be o'er here ye stupid bastards."

Jack and Benjamin picked up their pace and met Charles at the window.

Jack had the forethought to try and look contrite, "I'm sorry we be late captain. This dickhead," He punched Benjamin in the shoulder, "Got us lost". Jack turned to Benjamin, "I swear ye dasn't know yer arse from yer face." He practically spat at the other pirate.

"Fuck ye Jack."

"Enough ye lily livered fuck tards, ye`re both as useless as each other, I be th' only one wi' brains here." Charles grated viciously.

"Yes Captain." They both chorused in unison.

"All rite! Now that I be havin' ye two sods attention, be havin' ye found Jane yet?

The pair were as equally as dumb as one another but it was Jack, with long blonde hair bleached white by the sun, dark grey eyes, missing teeth and vivid scar on his bony left cheek who was the clear leader. Charles spoke to both but looked to Jack for an answer. When none was forthcoming he hissed violently.

"Are ye deaf? I said be havin' ye found Jane yet?

"Yes we be havin' found her captain. Jus' two nights gone."

"And what she be sayin?"

"She says she will do what be needed but fer a price o' course."

"Well nay shit Jack. Did ye tell th' bitch she could be havin' me ship as payment fer er' troubles?"

"Aye I told her, ortin' ta be havin' seen th' lass' greedy eyes light up, she agreed t' take yer ship."

"Good!" Charles lent back briefly against the stone wall and breathed a sigh of relief. He knew he could now go to the rope satisfied that his darling ship Orpheus would be safe now that she would no longer have him to captain her; there was nothing worse for a pirate then dying without knowing what was to become of his precious vessel, which was his most pressing priority taken care of. He knew Jane, too well and for too long, she was a cunning bitch who was respected more by his men than he was, well some of them. They were enemies but that never stopped them from throwing jobs each others way as long as it was profitable, he hated the woman but there was no one on God's earth he would trust more with his ship than her, he did not want to admit that, but it was true. Even his own pride took a back seat to his ship, his men would never look after his darling Orpheus; she would fall into disrepair and end up at the bottom of the sea. He cringed at the thought; his men were as useless as shit stuck to a boot. He spat on the floor and looked back threw the bars.

"And what about kidnappin' th' lass? Did ye mention how rich th' whore an' th' lass' father be?"

Jack looked indignant and spat, "O course I told th' lass' Charles."

"Well then what th' fuck did she say ye dummy! I want that bastard Richard t' suffer th' way he be makin' me suffer!"

"She be hesitant at first, claimed shes be done wi' kidnappin' women." At this all, three of them sorted and chuckled maliciously.

"Yeah an' I be a saint." Charles stated before taking a deep bow. They all cackled and laughed.

"Well she changed er' mind real quick when I told th' bitch how loaded they both be, real quick she did. Spoke somethin' along th' lines o' maybe one more time wouldna hurt. Th' lasses a fuckin' pussy."

"Aye that she may be but I want that son o' a bitch Richard t' pay fer me goin' t' th' noose. Jane`s got a good fuckin' deal ou' o' this, a ship an' a whore fer profit, I say she ortin' ta be a tad more grateful t' me. Perhaps she could come by me cell an' suck me cock. Arr then I could go t' th' noose a truly happy man." Charles started to harden at the thought of his dick shoved down Jane's throat.

Jack piped up, "Yeah an' after that she can let all o' us be havin' a good root, that`s all lasses be good for." They all laughed and snorted until tears ran down their dirty cheeks. Charles cleared his throat of phlegm then turned serious once more.

"Has John been watchin' Maura fer th' best place t' grab th' whore?"

"Aye he has, he hasn`t found a good place yet but he will, he will. He be watchin' th' lass' till he finds a good spot."

"Well he better hurry th' hell up I want th' strumpet kidnapped before I hang. I want t' be seein' th' look on Richards face as I die. I want t' be seein' th' man broken knowin' he will neresee his beloved lass again. Nothin' would give me greater pleasure."

"Aye Charles 'tis a sound plan ye have."

"Remind John that once he has Maura he`s t' get th' lass' straight t' Jane. In th' mean time I want ye t' meet wi' Jane an' hand th' ship over. Tell th' men they can sail wi' her or go elsewhere. I know they won't be happy but I dasn't care, this be final! For them who go elsewhere they get t' take anythin' from th' ship they want."

"The men hate th' lass' almost as much as ye do Charles, I dasn't think many will want t' sail under er'. Nay she will be havin' t' find a new crew fer Orpheus.

"Well that`s th' bitches problem, she gets th' ship an' th' lass that`s fuckin' good enough."

"Aye it is."

"Now get goin' an' get me ship t' Jane."

Once his men had disappeared back into the night Charles pulled his throbbing penis out of his britches and began to pull at it furiously, imaging Jane's mouth on it and came with a loud groan all over the stone wall.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six**

The air was cold and still as Garrett and Maura stepped out onto the lounge room balcony via a beautiful set of dark oak French doors. She shivered briefly and tightened the shawl she had grabbed before heading out tighter around her shoulders. Walking over to the ornate railing she rested her palms against the cold stone surface and looked down over the quiet main street. There wasn't a sole in sight; the street was deserted apart from the odd stray animal that was illuminated by tall street lights. Maura thought that the streets lights cast a rather eerie glow over the city at night. Garrett came to quietly stand beside her and rested his hand at the small of her back.

"Thank you again for dinner Maura."

She turned her head slightly so she was able to see his handsome smile, "You're welcome Garrett. It's so nice to see you." She noticed his hand on her back increase slightly in pressure.

"I have been looking forward to this night." He spoke deeply, his warm breath close to her ear. She shivered slightly as he placed his other hand over her stomach and gently turned her away from the railing and into him so she was snugly against his strong torso. Her heart rate picked up slightly and on instinct she put her hand on his shoulder to push away from the close contact but he covered her hand with his own tanned strong one and kept her firmly against himself. He looked down and noticed she was anxious and even slightly fearful and he mentally cursed.

_Maura I'm so ready to kiss you, why can't you be ready? _

He was getting frustrated; he wasn't satisfied any longer with chaste kisses to her cheeks. They had known each other a year, they were to be married next year, she was his, and he wanted to kiss her.

_Be Gentle Garrett, reassure her, make her feel safe._

"Maura don't be afraid of me, I won't hurt you."

Her lovely hazel eyes widened and she seemed to be studying him curiously.

_Good_ He thought, at least she no longer appears afraid.

"What…what are your intentions Garrett."

Maura was a jumble of nerves; she was fighting the urge to pull away from Garrett. She wasn't afraid of him, not at all, he was a gentleman. What she was afraid of was the look in his light brown eyes, Maura couldn't be sure what it meant but it looked as though he wanted to swallow her whole. His features seemed strained. She noticed the crease between his brows, his jaw muscles ticking, and the lines on either side of his tightly closed mouth. His body was rigid, stiff. She had never seen this emotion on his face before, never seen it directed at her, and she was worried she had somehow upset him. She soon found her answer.

"I wish to kiss you Maura, on your lips. I have wanted to for quite some time now. I had hoped you would feel the same?"

Maura had of course thought about Garrett kissing her. She had lay awake nights wondering what it would feel like, if there was a proper way to kiss, a certain way she had to kiss him in order to please him. And of course this had caused her to stress. What if she didn't kiss him right? What if he no longer wanted to marry her because she could not kiss correctly? She had never been kissed before. Not on her lips anyway. Cheeks and hands yes but never her mouth, her previous suitors had headed for the hills before kissing had even been in the equation. She was out of her depth and horribly innocent when it came to such matters as kissing and even further making love. Naturally being Maura she had read about the process that took place when two people made love. She knew about kissing and love making from a scientific point of view, from what muscles did what to roughly how many sperm was in ejaculate, to all the neurological responses that look place. The scientific process, pictures in books, detailed explanations did not freighted Maura, these things she understood. This was safe territory. But to actually put the content of such material into physical action was entirely different. Maura had not the slightest idea how to procreate in reality. She knew standing in front of Garrett that he was only asking for a kiss, not that they make love right here on this very balcony but Maura's brain had gone into overdrive and was well ahead of itself, which only made her all the more nervous about Garrett kissing her, but she did want him to kiss her. She wanted to experience all the things she had read about kissing. She was just so worried she would make a mistake. Garrett had been watching her emotions play across her beautiful features and saw with relief she wasn't disgusted by the thought of him kissing her, only nervous and unsure.

"Maura?" He spoke softly.

Maura broke out of her thoughts and looked up to Garrett's full lips; they looked harmless enough she thought. Sucking in a deep breath she spoke so quietly he hardly caught her words.

"Okay Garrett, you can kiss me."

That was all the incentive he needed, he slowly lowered his mouth to within inches of her own and closed his eyes. Maura's eyes however remained wide open as his warm lips met hers. She jerked slightly at the contact but he took it slow, moving his lips over hers ever so gently. It was definitely not, what she had been expecting, his lips were firm and surprisingly soft. Her eyes stayed open as she let herself feel what it was like to have them moving across her own. She didn't realize that kissing meant she had to kiss Garrett back. Slowly he broke away and opened his eyes to see Maura staring at him.

"Was that okay."

"Yes."

"Can I kiss you again? Will you kiss me back?"

Maura's eyes widened at this knowledge.

"I…I'm supposed to kiss you too?"

Garrett threw back his head and laughed a deep bellow which irritated Maura, she didn't like being made fun of. He wiped his eyes and continued grinning at her.

"Oh Maura, you are so innocent it's rather refreshing I must say. Yes you can kiss me back if you wish, a kiss goes both ways."

"Oh…oh okay."

Before she had time to process this Garrett's lips were on hers again and he tightened his grip on her waist. His lips were more insistent this time and Maura decided to move her own. She moved slowly at first, not knowing exactly how she was supposed to move them but Garrett hung on to her and moved their mouths into a slow rhythm of give and take. Maura stopped thinking, closed her eyes and just felt. However no sooner had she begun to enjoy herself she felt something wet and slippery against her bottom lip. Startled she realized it was Garrett's tongue and she pulled back quickly breaking the kiss.

Garrett stuttered and let go of her.

"I...I'm sorry Maura, I got carried away for a moment there. I didn't mean to be so forward."

Maura was still rather shocked but accepted Garrett's apology, she had certainly not been expecting that and could only assume Garrett had wanted to put his tongue in her mouth. At this thought she visibly paled and fought the urge to gag. Was that really how kissing was supposed to be? Still feeling nauseated at the thought she turned back to the railing.

"Perhaps I should go?" Garrett spoke quietly from behind Maura, his voice had an edge to it Maura picked up clearly he was frustrated.

"Are we still going to the Ball tomorrow night?"

"Yes Maura of course, I hope my getting carried away doesn't change anything between us?"  
>"No Garrett not at all, I didn't mind kissing you, it was…uh…I'm just not used to it; I mean I wasn't expecting you to do that. I will be okay in a little time, I promise. Thank you for being so understanding."<p>

His frustration left him at her assurance.

"Anything for you Maura, I liked kissing you very much. Come with me to the front door?"

"Of course."  
>Garrett took Maura's hand and they walked in awkward silence to the front door. Garrett shuffled his feet.<p>

"I will be here at half past eight tomorrow night to collect you and your father."

"Okay I look forward to it." Maura smiled genuinely and merely because she thought it would ease some of the tension between them she reached up and kissed his stubble covered cheek. He looked shocked but said nothing, she had never been the one to kiss him or make a first move.

"Good night love."

"Good night Garrett."

She watched as he walked down the stone steps towards his awaiting carriage, once seated he turned and smiled back at Maura before closing the carriage door. His driver slapped the reins against the horse's rumps and they began to trot away into the night. Maura made her way upstairs and met Trudy in her bedroom and she helped Maura retire for the night, yet however hard Maura tried, sleep was eluding her. She rolled from side to side, wide awake. She could not get the kiss her and Garrett had shared out of her mind. It was nice. But that was just the problem, that's all it had been. Nice. Maura had read of the sensitivity of the lips, how they had a disproportionate number of nerve endings compared to other body parts. She had thought she would have felt, well more when kissing Garrett. Kissing was supposed to release the neurotransmitter dopamine, which made people want to kiss more. But she had wanted to do the exact opposite when his tongue had come into play. Kissing was supposed to release endorphins that brought on waves of euphoria and relaxation but she had been mostly on edge and definitely did not experience waves of euphoria. The fact that the kiss didn't happen the way Maura thought it would frustrated and stressed her. She must have done something wrong. Garrett had enjoyed it a lot, he had told her so. His eyes were glazed and his pupils were dilated when he had looked at her after. He smiled more. Obviously he had kissed her right because what was supposed to happen with him happened. Maura knew she had failed, and Maura didn't like to fail. Sleep finally found her after she decided that she would conduct an experiment with Garrett tomorrow night at the ball. She would kiss him herself and would kiss him until she got it right and was able to experience what was supposed to happen when you kissed.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter Seven**

It was the night of the Annual Boston Society Ball and it was not something Maura would usually attend. But Garrett had asked her and she had nervously agreed. She figured putting up with a little high society was worth it if she got to see more of her fiance. She had gotten home from work about an hour ago, it was seven o'clock, she had another hour and a half to get ready before her and Richard had to leave as the ball started at nine o'clock. Work had been ridiculously busy as many people were coming down with colds already; she had been worked off her feet all day and really was in no mood to go to a ball. But she had made a promise to Garrett and she would keep that promise. Maura had decided months before on a deep green silk gown that had a slight trail and long billowy sleeves that hung down low but didn't completely cover her hands. Of course, she had to wear a corset but it wasn't a proper corset, only one that brought her already narrow waist in slightly, it was high collared so as not to show off too much breast and had large black buttons up the front. Maura had been assured by the dressmaker that this was the latest fashion in modest dresses. Maura had paid a pretty penny for it, but wasn't fathomed; she was used to spending reasonably large amounts of money on dresses and fabrics. Not only did she have her own wage but substantial savings and her even larger inheritance. A lot of her wealth went to various charities and homeless organizations all over Boston, she was extremely wealthy but did not want to show off her wealth pompously, nor did she want to squander it all away when it could be used for the benefit of others. Maura saw no sense in having money for the sake of having money if you were too selfish to share it. The wealth she had, she would never be able to spend it all in ten lifetimes let alone one. She had more than enough to buy herself her own estate but had opted to remain living with her father rather than live alone in a huge mansion all alone.

As she sat once again in her deep bathtub, she thought back to her day at work, her morning had been busy but it was normal. What made her tense was the feeling that had come over her once she had begun her home visits. She couldn't shake the sensation something was wrong, something felt off. Maura didn't really ever rely on her stomach instincts; she didn't believe her intestines could tell her anything important apart from that she was hungry. But as her afternoon wore on she was hard pressed to actually believe her stomach wasn't trying to tell her something. She kept glancing around whenever she entered or left the carriage, but couldn't shake the feeling she was being watched. It sounded ridiculous but she felt she was in danger. At first she had paid no attention to it as she started her visits, but as the feeling persisted she had to admit to herself something was not right. She began to pay careful attention to her surroundings and didn't see anyone watching her or anything out of the ordinary, the city was its usual active self. Nevertheless the uneasiness stayed with her all afternoon and only ceased once she had gotten back to her father's townhouse. She had been quite and subdued and everyone noticed but she had successfully evaded them without having to lie and say she was okay when she was not.

Sighing Maura began washing herself, she knew she shouldn't let what happened get to her; surely it must have been her imagination playing tricks on her? Maybe it was the lack of sleep she had the night before that had her mind and body addled. Yes that must be it. She knew know reason why someone would be watching her. Deciding to ignore her lingering unease and discomfort she finished washing and called for Trudy. She wasn't going to let some strange notion of being watched ruin her night with Garrett and the experiment she was going to conduct.

**J&M**

John Calico hid in the shadows of an alley and watched as Maura entered a rundown brick building on the outskirts of town. Jack had told him that Charles wanted him to watch the woman and find an ideal place to kidnap her, why Jack couldn't fucking do it himself he didn't know. His captain Charles Vane was to be hung and of all people, he was handing his ship over to Jane. John was fucking furious at his decision, he had worked under Charles Vane for years and this was how the bastard repaid him? He was fucking livid. There was no way in the hot depths of hell he would sail under Jane so he drew satisfaction from the fact he'd be taking as much booty from the Orpheus as he could before moving on with plans to build his own ship, he was fucking tired of being a lap dog. He would live out his remaining years a captain. All he was interested in was the booty, that and perhaps coping a feel of the woman's large tits he was watching. John imagined his hands roughly squeezing them and felt his dick begin to stiffen.

_Yes coppin' a feel o' th' bitch will make up fer some o' me losses. _He thought grimly. So far, he hadn't found any spot that was any better than another to kidnap her. She was always around someone and never alone. John had hoped to find some part of her routine that left her exposed and vulnerable but there had been no such luck. No, he was going to have to improvise and come up with something else if he was to get the strumpet before it was too late. He watched as Maura left the house, glanced around a moment before entering the carriage. When it began to roll away he hurried to his own carriage and told the driver to continue to follow Maura.

**J&M**

Maura, Garrett and Richard arrived at the Ball in Garrett's immaculate carriage exactly on time. He opened the carriage door, stepped down and held the door as Richard appeared first. When Maura went to step down, he took her hand in his own and helped her down; he then instructed his driver where he was to park the carriage. Maura looked absolutely breathtaking tonight and Garrett couldn't seem to stop telling her. He was extremely proud to have her on his arm tonight, to be able to show her off as his woman. Garrett wanted to do more than kiss her as he looked down at her ample bosom pushed up but still frustratingly hid beneath fabric. He was wary of a repeat of last night as he had felt his lions tighten pleasurably during their kiss at did not want to lose ground with her by rushing her. He was seriously considering talking with her about moving the wedding forward, the sooner they were married, the sooner they could consummate their relationship. Taking her hand and tucking it snugly into the crook of his elbow she smiled up at him and they began to walk towards the mansion with all the other guests.

**J&M**

Maura was physically and somewhat mentally exhausted even after her bath, now she was with Garrett and her father at the Annual Ball. As happy as she was to be there in the hope of spending time with Garrett, she would have preferred if the two of them had been somewhere quiet together, able to talk and unwind. But she was at the ball and determined to have a good time regardless of her tiredness. The Ball was being held at George Struthers manor; he was the wealthiest man in Boston and had been hosting the Annual Ball for years. The hall was enormous and exquisite and currently full of people. An Orchestra was set up at the end of the hall next to a large set of French doors that led out into the patio and gardens. They were playing a lively tune and couples were dancing. Maura watched longingly as beautiful women were led around gracefully by equally graceful men. She was alone for the moment, Garrett had gone to fetch drinks and Richard was chatting with men from the firm. She sat quietly at the end of the hall where some dining chairs were placed along the wall; Maura didn't know how to dance.

She was embarrassed by this considerably and that was just another reason why she avoided situations such as this. Her father knew how to dance but she had never asked him to teach her and he never offered. He assumed if Maura wanted to learn she would. So here she was at thirty seven years old at a spectacular Annual Ball watching grand couples glide across the room with no idea how to dance herself. Not only that so many of the guests here were people she did not know. Maura frequently associated with the lower class to treat them in the clinic, all the people here tonight where upper crust society and Maura had nothing in common with them apart from two things, wealth and beauty. They had been here almost three hours and Maura had yet to have any real time with Garrett, when they had arrived he had proudly showed her off to everyone he knew. The only guests she had met once before were a group of women about her age. Mrs. Robinson, Mrs. Carlyle, Mrs. Elliot and Mrs. Forbes. All extremely wealthy, all uninterested in Maura and anything she had to say.

The first time they had all been introduced to each other Maura had gone off on one of her science related rants and all four women looked at her as if she was a bug to be squished, they had never met a woman more inappropriate. They had been polite enough but their noses were high in the air and later on Maura had seen them glancing her way, smiling and laughing together behind their hand held folding fans. As soon as Garrett had moved to introducing the same four women to Maura tonight thinking that perhaps Maura could spend some time with them while he spoke with the men, they had recognized her and immediately tried to hide their self-satisfied smiles behind fans once more. The whole time Garrett and the women were making small talk they gushed over him and paid Maura not the slightest bit of attention. Needless to say she decided not to stay with the women, opting instead for her own company. Not by any great surprise she ended up wondering the corridors and hallways of the beautiful manor admiring all George Struthers paintings. He had many styles and types preferring not to settle with one style and she found she admired each painting in some way or another. He had works by some of the more famous artists as well including Emanuel Gottlieb Leutze, George Caleb Bingham, Theodore Gericault and Adolph Menzel just to name a few. Maura was greatly impressed by his collection and eventually found herself completely lost in the grand manor but thankfully she came across a kind servant who was more than happy to help her back to the main hall.

As soon as Garrett had seen her he went striding to her side noticeable worry in his eyes. She had told him where she had been and assured him she was fine before apologizing for disappearing. He had smiled at her and asked her not to just walk away without letting him know as he was worried for her safety. She had felt rather sheepish and that's when she had asked him politely if he could fetch her a drink as she was thirsty. That had been over twenty minutes ago as leaned her head back against the wall and let out a small breath. She wanted to be home reading in her father's study, home in bed, anywhere but here. She let her hazel eyes gaze over the superb chandeliers on the ceiling, they were remarkably large, meticulous in detail and Maura adored them, they were simply exquisite. Her eyes drifted from the chandeliers slowly down one large white pillar than across the floor and up the next sturdy pillar. The hall was very aesthetically pleasing to Maura; for she took great appreciation in architectural detail. Maura took her fill of the architecture and was about to stand up in search of Garrett when he appeared by her side her glass of red wine in his hand. She took it gratefully and took a small sip, swishing it around in her mouth before swallowing, it was delicious wine, not too tart and not too sweet, it was simply divine and Maura again made a note to ask one of the servants what it was called.

"Sorry darling I ran into Mr. Westby, you know Adam, he works with me and we got to chatting."

Maura in fact did not know Mr. Adam Westby but merely nodded her head and took another sip of wine; she didn't want to talk about complete strangers.

"Would you like to go outside with me for a while, the gardens are quite fine here."

Maura looked up at Garrett in genuine interest, "Yes that would be very nice." She wasn't about to say no, if they could find a secluded area outside she would be able to follow through with her experiment.

He took her outstretched hand and together they walked around and through groups of happily chatting, eating and dancing guests to the open French doors.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter Eight**

They walked out onto a large patio romantically lit by a multitude of small fairy lights strung from awnings, windows, trees and gazebos, the moon fat and full casting its own glow upon the garden. Various couples were scattered around the patio and throughout the sizable grounds, the Orchestra not far from the French doors added to the romantic ambiance.

"It's so beautiful out here Garrett, what a spectacular garden." Maura had already begun eying all the colorful array of flowers, well-manicured hedges and fruit trees heavy laden with ripe fruit.

"Oh I would love such a garden of my own." She spoke wistfully.

Garrett chuckled lightly, "When we are married you can have a garden as large and beautiful as you wish."

She turned and stared at him in surprise, "Do you really mean that?" She whispered quietly.

"Of course, anything for you Maura, you may design it however you wish and have whatever you wish in it."

"Oh Garrett I don't know what to say. Thank you so much. You really are wonderful."

"You don't need to thank me Maura. Come, let's walk."

Garrett put his hand at the small of her back and they walked down a few steps along the main pathway through the gardens, nodding at other couples as they past, as was the polite thing to do. The path slopped downwards and as the neared, the end there was a pond situated to the side. Across the other side was a gazebo that was rather set back and out of the eye of everyone. Maura suggested that they walk around the pond and sit there much to Garrett's agreement as he was hoping he could be alone with Maura. she watched all the different colored goldfish follow her in the pond as she walked past and giggled in delight, when the pond ended they simply pooled together at the end and waited for her return. Once they had sat down in the gazebo Garrett sighed loudly and lent back in his seat, arms behind his head, feet crossed at the ankles, it was the most relaxed Maura had seen him in a while. They sat in silence awhile, Maura simply enjoying her wine and the quiet, fresh air.

Garrett's voice came out in a rumble, "If it's okay with you, I would like to teach you to dance."

Maura being surprised once again by him within the last few minutes fought the urge to spit her wine back in its glass. Instead she swallowed and turned to him practically bouncing in her seat, "Oh yes Garrett yes, please, I wish to be able to dance. I look quite the fool being unable to dance."

"Maura you are not a fool and never will be. It would be my pleasure to teach you to dance, and rather fun I should think."

"Yes oh yes." Maura continued her half bounce on the seat and Garrett laughed at her antics, she was like a little girl sometimes, it was endearing.

Without any hesitation or nerves on Maura's part as it was purely in the name of science and experimentation she leaned over Garrett's slumped form, rested her hand on his chest and pressed her lips to his. She didn't even notice that he stiffened or grunted in surprise, she was too intent on moving her lips over his the way he had showed her last night. She was in search of what she had read about, heightened sensitivity, euphoria, a connection, a spark, something, anything, some recognition from her nerves. Not finding any she became more impatient and in turn pressed her lips more firmly to Garrett's. Garrett at this point had overcome his shock and was eagerly kissing Maura back. Maura decided she would run her tongue along his lip to see if that made her feel something more. At this Garrett grunted and his groin began to harden. Maura kept on and not quite realizing what she was doing pushed her tongue at the entrance to his mouth and he opened so she could enter. Once her tongue was in his mouth she didn't quite know what to do with it but his met hers and finally she felt something. But it wasn't what she had hoped to feel. She felt nauseated and all of a sudden it hit her, she realized she had her tongue in her fiance's mouth and she was quite honestly disgusted. Garrett on the other hand was struggling not to pick Maura up take her to his house and have his way with her. One kiss from the woman and he was more than ready, it usually took him awhile to get into the mood but with Maura it was not the case. His penis was stiffened painfully hard. Just as he was about to put his hand behind her head and deepen the kiss even more Maura pulled back and took a shuddering breath. Garrett opened his eyes to a pale looking Maura, eyes wide as saucers.

"Oh God, I…I think," Maura stood up quickly and walked out of the gazebo. Garrett called after her but was actually relieved she had walked away as it gave him a moment to stand and hide his painful erection before going after her. He found her leaning rather far out over the pond, hand on her stomach, the other over her mouth and he assumed she was upset about how brazen she had been Maura had never done anything like this before, not that he was upset by it. What he didn't realize was Maura was trying to calm her stomach so she wouldn't vomit on herself and into the pond. All the goldfish had seen her and were swimming at her feet, blissfully unaware they could possibly be fed by regurgitated food.

"Maura, are you okay?" Garrett said gruffly. He placed his hand on Maura's small shoulder and she flinched. She tried to even out her breathing and straightened up, her stomach had started to settle a bit but her mind was running on overdrive.

"Maura?" She expected Garrett to be angry with her, she somehow thought he could sense she was physically nauseous from the kiss they shared but was instead surprised when Garrett spoke again, "It's okay Maura. I know you were rather forward but I do not mind, you are my fiance. You are allowed to kiss me, it's what couples do."

Garrett thought she was upset because she had initiated the kiss? Maura didn't know what to think. But she couldn't tell him she was okay when she clearly wasn't, that would be lying. Garrett it seemed had finished comforting her, he thought that was all she needed to hear and everything would be okay. He was after all immensely happy with Maura's new brazenness and hoped it would continue. He didn't bother to prod her and make sure that was the actual reason she was upset. At Maura's subdued silence Garrett became frustrated.

"Come on Maura, it's getting late, we shall go find your father and take you home."

Apparently she would need more convincing that kissing him so openly was okay.

**J&M**

Maura had continued to be quiet on the carriage ride home and Richard knew something was bothering her; he was actually worried Garrett had done something to upset her but decided to wait until they were home before he asked her. He went inside once they were home and left Garrett and Maura alone to talk in the hopes it would help Maura. However when she came inside only minutes after just as quiet he decided to ask her what was wrong. He followed her retreating form upstairs and knocked quietly on her bedroom door.

"Maura may I come in?"

He heard a muffled, "Yes," and opened the door and shutting it behind him. She was brushing out her hair in front of her mirror and would not meet his eyes.

"Maura are you okay? You're very quiet. Did Garrett do something to upset you?"

Maura released the breath she had been holding, she was glad her father asked that because she could not answer him without lying. Garrett hadn't done anything to upset her, she was the one to upset herself. She did not want to tell her father about her reaction to the kiss, not tonight anyway. She wanted to be alone.

"No father I promise you Garrett has done nothing to upset me, he is a wonderful man. I am just very tired, work was very busy today and its late I just wish to retire to bed."

Richard searched her eyes and knew she told the truth but there was something else as well, something she wasn't saying. He decided he would leave it for now and try to talk about it again tomorrow, she did look tired and it was late.

"Okay darling, I'm glad he didn't do anything untoward, I shall leave you to sleep. Did you enjoy yourself tonight?"

"Yes it was quite pleasant. Did you?"

"Oh yes I suppose, but you know I'm like you, I'm not rather fussed on such affairs."

They shared a quiet laugh and as Richard was closing Maura's door she whispered a quiet. "I love you father." He smiled warmly before telling her the same and leaving her for Trudy to come and help her.

Neither of them knew that it would perhaps be the last time they said those words to each other.

**J&M**

Maura lay in bed, tears falling down her soft cream cheeks.

_There must be something wrong with me I disliked his kiss. What does it mean that I don't want him to kiss me again? Oh Maura why can't you just like his kiss he is your fiance! He is the kindest man, he treats you with such respect and admires that you are a doctor and you can't even give enjoy kiss affections towards you._

More tears left her red-rimmed eyes.

W_hat am I going to do? How am I going to tell him I don't want him to kiss me? That I feel sick when his tongue touches mine. How can this response be normal? I am supposed to be swooning over his kiss. I should be able to feel it from the top of my head to the tip of my toes. I must be doing something wrong? Surely it must just be that? Perhaps if I tell him my feelings he will be able to teach me to kiss so I can enjoy it too?_

Even as Maura thought this she knew it sounded ridiculous. She was kidding herself. Kissing someone you loved was supposed to be pleasurable for both parties. She continued crying as she tossed and turned unable to sleep from fear of what she was going to do, the only thing she could think of was to talk to her father or Trudy of her predicament, surely they knew what was wrong and would be able to help her sort this mess out. She knew she could trust both of them to be honest with her and tell her the truth. Maura's tears slowed but her fears and doubts continued as she drifted off into a restless sleep.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter Nine**

Maura awoke early, tired and mentally drained her sleep had been light and sporadic and she was ever thankful she had the day off. It had been her intention to take the girls out shopping for some new dresses and lunch but the thought of doing that today was just too much. She rolled over and stifled a large yawn. She settled on spending today resting and reading instead and taking the girls out tomorrow to do what she had intended today. Perhaps she would just go to the markets after breakfast and browse for a short time. Getting up she decided she would take a bath this morning instead of tonight, she needed the relaxation a bath could bring. Trudy must have read her mind because she knocked quietly on the door and Maura invited her in. Maura explained she had a terrible night sleep and asked Trudy if she could have a bath and Trudy was only too happy to help, she went to tell the girls to start helping her with water. After her bath she requested something light but warm to wear as she wished to go to the markets. After a hearty breakfast of cereal, eggs on toast and cup of tea she felt substantially better as she grabbed her coat, wicker basket and headed out into the early morning chill.

Even at this early hour the city was alive. All manner of carts wheeled past with everything in them from hay, fruit and vegetable to cages of chickens and turkeys. The air was heavy with the smell of smoke from fireplaces and the steady wind whipped her curls around her lovely face. She tightened her coat further around her body and watched flock of pigeons feed on seed that an elderly man was throwing them. The particular markets she went to were only about a ten minute walk from her father's townhouse; she didn't feel comfortable going great distances alone and when Maura arrived, it was to find the square already teaming with life. She began browsing the wares on offer, reading materials and in no time had tuned out her busy surroundings. She found a handmade vase of glass that was decorated in fine detail with a beautiful ocean scenery and a lone ship and happily paid the frail old woman more than the sale price much to her gratitude. Not having found any books that interested her, much to her disappointment, she head over to the fruit and vegetables. She was eying off a bunch of bananas she was about to reach for to further inspect when she felt a quick tug at her dress. She assumed it had gotten caught on something and turned to find out what, only she was shocked to find a little boy with brown hair and beautiful big blue eyes staring up at her. And not just any boy she noted, it was Mrs. Lewis's son, one of her patients from the practice. Upon closer inspection she found the boy, James was his name, to be crying.

"Miss Maura," He spoke urgently, tugging once more on her dress, "Please help my mommy Miss Maura."

"Your mother? Why whatever is the matter? Why are you here alone James darling?" But the little boy was insistent and didn't want to talk. He let go of Maura's dress only to force his small grubby hand into her larger one and begin pulling her, "Please Miss Maura my mommy is hurt bad." At this news Maura stiffened worriedly.

_Mrs. Lewis is hurt? Oh I must go to her! But I don't have my doctor's bag!_

"Miss Maura please." James insisted, he was afraid and his voice came out in a small whine.

"Oh yes James…yes of course, please take me to your mother." At this James tugged her hand again and she followed along quickly behind him. She tried to ask the boy questions as she followed him, what happened to her? Where she was? But James didn't answer her he just kept hold of her hand and guided her across streets, through alleys and over bridges until he slowed a little and led her into a dark, grimy alleyway that smelled of rotting food. Maura started to become wary but James kept pulling her further into the gloomy alleyway. A cat howled and hissed making Maura jump before it sprinted past her and out the alley. The fine hair on the back of Maura's neck and arms rose in alarm and the same feeling that she had felt the day before of being watched came over her, on instinct, she stopped walking and James turned to look up at her.

"Please Miss Maura we are almost there, please you have to help my mummy!" A fresh bout of tears ran down his young cheeks and Maura resisted the urge to turn and leave. The boy's mother was in danger, she was Maura's patient, she could not leave her. Maura tampered down her fear as her will to care for others was stronger and she began to walk forward. James quickly led her to the end of the alleyway where a tall fence stopped their progress and he turned towards the door of a tall brick building and pulled Maura towards it.

"She's in here, quick, she's very hurt!"

Maura fought her panic and switched to medical mode. James opened the door and pulled Maura in.

"Where James, where is she, oh James why was she in here!?"  
><em>Oh God it's so dark I can't see a thing. Don't panic Maura, just stop panicking, find Mrs. Lewis, she needs you!<em>

"James it's so dark in here, I can't see well enough, show me where she is." But James simply let go of her hand and without his small warm hand for comfort she began to panic again. She steadied herself and was about to call out for Mrs. Lewis when a large meaty hand grabbed her from behind and pulled her up against a solid chest. Maura was absolutely terrified and dropped her wicker basket, the vase shattering into pieces as she struggled in a wild panic, kicking and waving her arms. She couldn't breathe as the hand holding her was large enough to cover her mouth and nose. She stood forcefully on the man's foot and he grunted and released his hold momentarily and Maura dropped to the ground out of his way. She clawed at the floor desperately trying to find a piece of the broken vase to use as a weapon but the man grabbed her once more and her scream of horror was muffled by his hand once again covering her mouth. Maura fought but it was in vain the man was much too strong for her, her lungs screamed for oxygen though none was forthcoming but she kept on struggling, now feebly. Her lungs burned and her brain hurt as she eventually blacked out from lack of oxygen and slumped against the man's large frame, her last thought of her father.

**J&M**

John smiled a thin savage smile at Maura who lay tied, blindfolded and gagged on the dirty floor. After the struggle he had lit a lamp and sat it on top an old rotting table. Billy was standing over her a toothless grin on his stupid face. The only reason John had chosen him was because he was big, and would get the job done. Now that it was he walked outside the building and found the small boy James leaning against the brick wall. The boy was young, impressionable, trusting. Once John had explained what he needed to do and what he would receive in return the boys blue eyes had doubled in size. All he had been asked to do was fetch Miss Maura from the markets, tell her that his mother was very hurt and then follow the big man with no hair. Once he brought Maura into the building he was to go quickly and wait outside. John had told the boy they had simply wanted to talk with Miss Maura about going to the doctors. Instead of being dressed in their usual pirate garb, they were both dressed as farmers. James was proud and in awe these big farmers had asked him to do something of such importance, so he had taken his part very seriously for such a small boy, however, what actually won James over was the small amount of money and sweets he was to receive simply from asking Miss Maura to follow him. John produced the money and treats and handed them to James whose eyes lit up at the treasures. John said James had done a good job and told him he was able to go. James ran from the alley in happy delight, none the wiser at what had really happened to Miss Maura.

John spat and walked back into the building.

"Dumb fuckin' kid, easy as one, two fuckin' three." John laughed.

"Now make sure th' whore be secure an' still sleepin' then go get th' cart an' brin' 't down th' ally."

"Aye John." Billy smiled a toothless smile as he bent down and made sure Maura was still securely bound and unconscious. He spat on the floor near her head then stood and shuffled out the door to grab the cart they had stolen. John walked out of the building behind Billy and lit a smoke, lent back against the wall and waited for him to return. It only took Billy about five minutes to fetch horse and cart and bring it down the alley and John dropped his smoke and squashed it under foot before coughing and speaking to Billy.

"Okay Billy boy go an' grab th' lass an' th' lamp an' brin' em outside, an' make 't quick. We need t' get ou' o' th' city before anyone realizes Maura has gone an' vanished in t' thin air." He raised his arms to the sky and said "Poof!" and he and Billy laughed. Billy returned with Maura over his broad muscled shoulder and dumped her unceremoniously into the hay on the back of the cart. He and John set about covering her with hay, making sure none of her body was showing then Billy climbed up and sat on the back of the cart and John extinguished the lamp and got up behind the reins. He whacked the bony horse with them and it flinched and began to move. He turned them in a tight circle and hit the horse again with the reins until it started to move faster.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter Ten**

John took as many back alleys and quiet roads as he could, successfully navigating them out of the heart of the city and out into the fields. They blended in perfectly, looking like a couple of farmers going about their everyday business and reached the fort walls that led out of the city enclosure, into the woods and as was customary they were stopped by English guards and checked over briefly. A young guard with red hair and pimples took his sword and stabbed randomly at the hay and seemed satisfied that nothing was hidden in it and let them pass. John slapped the horse with the reins, tipped his straw hat and moved on out the gates and followed the path into the thick green woods. They drove through the woods roughly an hour before John turned sharply onto a small overgrown path that was nearly impossible to distinguish it was that overgrown, it was quite steep and both John and Billy cursed a blue streak as they got continually hit by branches along the way. John was nearly ready to shoot the horse merely out of sheer anger when they finally drove out into the sunlight and onto sand. The horse tried unsuccessfully to drag the cart through the sand; the wooden wheels simply bogged down and wouldn't move. They were where they needed to be but John still swore out of frustration.

"Stupid fuckin' cart! Lousy fuckin' sand, god dammit!" He jumped down into the sand and kicked the cart wheel violently. He turned his head when he heard a deep timbre that sent a cold shiver down his spine. Jane. Jane Rizzoli.

"Tis about time ye got here John. Were ye followed?"

John turned himself around fully to face the formidable woman who stood as tall as his own six foot and looked him straight on with her piercing brown eyes. He considered himself a smart man, and a smart man would know not to make Jane Rizzoli angry.

"No I wasn't. Everythin' sailed' smoothly."

Jane turned her dark brown eyes towards Billy then back to John and raised a black eyebrow questionably.

"So...'ere`s th' lass?" John swallowed reflexively and nodded towards the cart, Jane made a casual question sound like a threat.

"In...in th' back o' th' cart." They were both quiet and motionless as Jane sauntered over to the back of the cart and began bailing the hay out in large armfuls. However, it didn't take long for her darkly handsome face to turn into an angry mask as she shot a deadly glare towards John, "She be bleedin'. Why th' fuck be she bleedin'?" She almost bellowed at them accusingly. Both their eyes were wide in shock as John hurried as close to Jane as he dared before looking down at Maura who was lying in bloody hay. Then it hit him like a ton of bricks, the young guard at the gate, when he had stabbed the hay he must have stabbed Maura. He didn't have time to voice what happened as the front of his shirt was grabbed by a fierce fist and he was hurled to the sand with a dull thud.

"God dammit! Ye be asked t' kidnap th' lass nay kill her." Jane snarled at him viciously. As though Maura where as light as one of the grains of sand on the very beach on which they stood Jane picked her up and placed her over her broad shoulder. She turned to John and spat at his feet.

"Useless idiotic bastards!" She hurled back at them as she strode down the beach and into the surf, it soaked her boots and black breaches but she paid no mind as she placed Maura down into the small boat.

"You two be sailin' wi' me or nay?" She hoped they wouldn't, she hated them, they were dumb oafs who would do nothing but stir up constant trouble.

"Nay we be makin' our own way." Jane grunted in satisfaction, jumped into the boat and removed a sack of coins from her vest pocket which she angrily debated weather or not to keep, the two standing on the beach didn't deserve to be paid. Cursing under her breath she hurled the small bag towards the beach and it hit the sand, spraying it briefly. She grabbed the oars and her arm muscles began to flex in unison as she worked them. Jane was strong and in no time had herself and Maura quite a way out into the rolling green surf before she remembered to ask the woman's name.

"What's th' lass`s name?" She hollered.

"Maura!" She heard them both shout and watched testily as John ran forward to collect the bag of coins. She grunted and continued to pull hard at the oars and by the time the boat was bumping up against the much larger hull of her Brig Jane was covered in a light sheen of sweat. She looked up the side of her ship and her eyes met a head that poked out over the side, the only thing her loyal second in command Barry Frost could say when he saw them was, "Why be she bleedin'?"

Jane hollered back up, "Didn't bother waitin' fer an answer, needless t' say John an' Billy be as useless as a sack o' rat shit."

"You be havin' got that right. I'll toss down th' ladder." Frost hauled the ladder over the side and it came banging down noisily until it finished unraveling. Jane stood up and steadied herself on muscled legs before picking up Maura and again putting her over her shoulder. By now Jane's neck and shirt was soaked in Maura's blood from the wound in her side and she growled at the effort it took to climb the narrow ladder and balance Maura on her shoulder without dropping her. When she neared the top, she was sweating harder and felt Maura's weight lift off her shoulder from sturdy hands above and she climbed over the side of her ship landing neatly on the pristine deck. She wiped the sweat from her brow and turned to Barry and was about to speak when her two brothers Frankie and Tommy came thudding down the deck to see their new captive. Tommy the youngest of the three smiled at his sister.

"Jane. How did 't go? Let's get us an eyeball at th' pretty skirt huh?" Jane narrowed her eyes and punched Tommy hard on the arm, "What do ye think this be? Show an' fuckin' tell?" She bit out, "Both o' ye get that boat back t' th' ship. Now!" She ignored their cursing as they went to do what she had ordered of them and turned back to Barry speaking more calmly, "I be goin' t' take th' lass' an' check her wound. Get us underway Barry, I want t' be well clear o' Boston." She took Maura from his arms and tossed her over her shoulder before patting Barry on the arm and turning away. She stroke to the starboard side of her ship where the magnificent but somewhat neglected Orpheus sat proudly beside her own dashing Spiritus and hollered loudly to her third in command Vince who she had put in command of sailing Orpheus back to the Caribbean alongside Spiritus. She watched as his grey head and full straggly beard came into view on his port-side.

"We be ready t' sail Vince, follow me lead an' stay close."

Jane and Jack had decided on this small deserted cove as the place to bring the woman and Orpheus to turn over to her. Jane and her men had been awake since the early hours of morning, lanterns burning when Orpheus had crept in silently next to Spiritus cutting through thick fog; she looked like a ghost ship and Jane was more than pleased she now belonged to her. Charles Vane's men had been furious and close to storming her ship when Jack had roared that if they didn't want to sail under Jane they could take whatever booty they wanted and move on. Upon hearing this, the transformation on their ugly faces was instantaneous; they changed from furious men to greedy little boys and In no time they made short work of plundering as much as they could before lowering the boats into the calm waters and rowing ashore in droves leaving all the boats to wash against the shore as they disappeared into the forest. Jane had watched the entire drama take place silently from aboard her ship, hands clasped behind her back. Not one of Charles Vane's men had chosen to sail under her and she was immensely relieved, she hated them all. It would mean she would have to divide her men between the two ships and both would be operating with a skeleton crew but it was doable. Once Jane returned to her hideout, she would set about hiring reliable men to work aboard Orpheus.

"Aye." Vince shouted back before she turned away, ignoring the stares and rude comments from her men at the sight of Maura as she strode below deck down the slim corridor to the end and opened a door on the right. Jane had seen to dealing with many injuries and wounds throughout her life as a pirate and was just as capable as Maura was of stitching cuts, setting broken bones and dealing with any number of ship borne illnesses and infections. Walking into the tiny but clean cabin she used as a sick room she deposited Maura on top a rough table and hunted around for something to place under her head. She started with removing the rope from the woman's slim wrists and ankles shaking her head in frustration at the chaffing that had occurred.

_Dumb fuck seafarin' heartys. This beauty needs t' be kept in pristine condition, she be worth a pretty penny, damn I wish I could keelhaul them two!_

Jane was not interested one bit in Maura as a person or as a human being; all she saw as she looked down upon her unconscious form was an immense fortune that she was going to get her strong hands on. This was not an opportunity to be taken lightly and Jane had to be viciously smart about what she was going to do. When Jack had found her a few nights ago brooding over a mug of ale and given her his proposal, she had been surprised but had not thought twice, she would be a fool to let such a ship as the Orpheus slip through her calloused fingers. She hated Charles Vane with a passion but she had to admit, held a mighty small and grudging respect for the man after that night. She figured she had been given the Orpheus over one of Charles second or third in command, because she knew as well as he they were all hopeless fools. He had put his pride aside for the sake of his ship and that is where the grudging respect had come into play. Then Jack had mentioned the woman Charles wanted her to kidnap and Jane had grunted at him with disinterest, downed the rest of her ale and stood to leave the bar when Jack had casually mentioned both the woman's and her father's immense wealth. This had caused Jane to slow her steps and glance back at Jack darkly.

"Ow much?" She growled menacingly.

_I swear if this bastard be wastin' me time or havin' me on I will shove me cutlass so far up his puckered arsehole that I'll pull his throat back ou' o' 't!_

"I dasn't know but I do know 'tis somethin' ye would be stupid t' walk away from."

"You callin' me daft jack?" At this point, she had turned around fully to face him, hands clenched tight by her sides.

"If ye walk away from this aye ye be as lily livered as ye look." Jack was not afraid of Jane, under all her menace and bravado she was just a woman, a weak pathetic woman.

Jane growled low in her throat at his words but managed only just to keep from wrapping a strong hand around his throat, she wanted to punch the smug look off his face, repeatedly.

"And what does yer nancy boy Charles want me t' kidnap th' lass fer hmm? Tryin' t' set me up fer th' same fate thar awaits him perhaps?"

"Now wouldna that be somethin'? But unfortunately nay. Th' lass be th' daughter o' th' lawyer who holds all th' evidence against Charles. He merely wants th' man t' suffer as he will. Rather genius plan wouldna ye say? O' course he has a similar fate planned fer th' judges lass but that be none o' yer business. Payback be a bitch."

Jane had unwillingly sat back down next to Jack and ordered another ale.

"Start from th' start, tell me everything."

Jack smiled at her wickedly, ordered an ale for himself and did as she had asked, started from the start.


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter Eleven**

Now here Jane sat dwelling on the body that rested beside her. She had listened to Jack that night and with much consideration had agreed to the kidnapping and to pay Jack, John, Benjamin and Billy handsomely for wasting their time helping her. Jane had not thought twice about losing a little coin now compared to what she would receive when she decided what to do with the woman. She needed to be kept in good health and condition to be worth a large amount; nothing more could happen to her. Jane pulled up a small stool, sat heavily and took off Maura's blindfold and gag. The woman was unusually beautiful Jane noted but wasn't fazed by it, she had seen many beautiful woman on her travels and as far as Jane Rizzoli was concerned women such as Maura where all the same, tight fisted, vein, simpering fools. Jane maneuvered Maura's limp body out of her coat and threw it on the floor before undoing the buttons on her simple dress and pulling it apart to reveal yet more layers of clothing. She found the wound easily enough; it was just above her left hip. It wasn't a mortal wound but it was long and would require stitches. Rather than try removing the other layers of clothing Jane simply ripped the slit from the sword larger so she had room to work. Grabbing a bottle of whiskey from one of the shelves Jane sat back down and began cleaning out the wound. Her brooding eyes shot to Maura's face as her body jerked in response to the whiskey being poured over the wound and Jane knew Maura was starting to wake up.

_Some timin' ye be havin' thar woman. _Jane thought testily. It was a much easier task to fix the wound when the woman was unconscious not awake and fighting like a feral cat. Jane continued to wash out the wound and Maura gasped painfully before her eyes started to flutter open.

**J&M**

Maura lay on top of something hard. Her ears registered noise but her throbbing head was confused and unable to process anything. She felt something warm brush against her side then a sharp stinging, throbbing sensation flowed through her hip and her body jerked reflexively. Her ears picked up more movement and then the stinging pain hit her side again and she gasped from the sharp discomfort. Finally her eyes decided they were going to cooperate with her brain and they began to flutter open. When they opened fully all she could make out was a wooden roof and even though it was glumly lit wherever she was her eyes clamped shut at the intrusion of light. They began to water as Maura tried unsuccessfully to open them again and gain she felt a fierce jolt of pain to her side and again she gasped. She tried more forcefully to open her eyes and keep them open and slowly they adjusted to the gloomy room, at least that's what Maura thought she was in. She struggled for a while to remember what had happened and why she was in pain but her mind was giving her nothing useful to work with.

_I need to get up; work out where I am and what is going on. _

Maura forced herself to get up despite her oblivious state but before she could make a decent attempt, a firm hand gripped her shoulder forcing her back to the table. She fought the urge to panic but the low husky voice that rumbled from her left side made her do two things, panic anyway and shiver involuntarily.

"Don`t move lass." It was commanding voice, one that brooked no argument. Maura knew she had never heard the voice before; it was raspy and rough, a voice someone would not forget. Then in a blinding rush it all came back to her overtaxed mind, the boy James and his hurt mother. Maura following him into the alley and the building, someone huge grabbing her from behind, her desperate attempt to escape before she lost consciousness. Now she was genuinely panicking and struggled to breathe, her side burned painfully as she tried to sit up and was again pushed down none too gently by a warm hand.

"I said dasn't move woman." The voice flowed over her body, hitting every nerve ending along the way. Maura had trouble understanding the bad English, if English is what you would call it. Her heart thudded heavily in her ears as she cracked her eyes open expecting to see a hideous man standing over her but as she turned her eyes towards the pain in her side what she saw both shocked and scared her.

_Oh God, God help me, a pirate! A…a woman! What? A woman? She's a woman. A pirate…a dangerous, murderous, wom…pirate! _

She had only glanced at the woman fleetingly in the gloom, not catching a good look before strength she didn't realize she possessed borne of fear made Maura sit up and dive off the table and tripping over her dress made for the only escape she saw, a small door. Blindly she ran for it as she heard an inhuman growl from behind her and her progress was stopped as an unforgiving hand closed over her arm and shoved her around violently, pushing her up against the door with a painful thud.

"What part o' dasn't move do ye nay understand?" The woman's grip was painfully hard on her slim arm and Maura was terrified, she had to arch her neck back to look up at the woman who was standing altogether too close and she gasped as she did so. The woman looking down at her was furious, but she was unlike any other woman Maura had ever seen. Her face was indescribably hard and unforgiving, yet surpassingly beautiful. Her dark chocolate eyes bore an angry hole through Maura and her mouth was a hard line. Her hair was a thick black mane that tangled around her solid jaw in a curly mass. Although Maura was scared of her she couldn't help but admire the beauty.

"Who are you? Where am I?" She squeaked the pain in her side all but forgotten. The woman's breath was hot on her face as she replied, "Me names Jane."

That was all she got before Jane tightened her already vice like grip and shoved Maura back towards the table.

"Lie down," She barked, "You best do as yer told lass or ye will regret it."

Maura obeyed and sat down on the table before Jane made her lie down.

"How did ye get this cut?"

_Cut?_

Maura hesitated before looking down to her side where the pain was and saw a long angry gash above her hip, she stared at it blankly wondering how she had ended up with the wound.

"Well?" Jane's voice was less harsh.

She looked to Jane worriedly, "I…I don't know." Jane spat on the floor and even in her frightened condition Maura still had the sensibilities to be disgusted.

It was than Maura finally noticed that the floor beneath them was moving, or rather rolling and swaying and she quickly put the pieces together.

"Oh God if you're a pirate and the floor is moving then I must…I'm on a ship." She thought of her father and fought tears, "Father," She whispered frantically before trying to rise off the table, "Father, please father." Her desperate and dire situation was starting to really sink in; pirates had kidnapped her and she couldn't fight the bile that rose to her throat and vomited all over herself and Jane.

"Good god lass! Fuck!" Jane yelled so loudly it hurt Maura's ears more than the curse word.


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter Twelve**

"Why did ye do that fer?" Jane held up her arms and glanced dispassionately at all the vomit down her front. Maura wiped her mouth on the back of her hand and stared at Jane waiting to be raped by her men, beat up, murdered…anything. When nothing happened and Jane only growled at her to, "Lie down," Maura blinked and released a breath she didn't realize she had been holding. She obediently lay down not wishing to make Jane any angrier lest she did something ghastly. She smelt the contents of her own stomach and fought down nausea again. She watched in silence as Jane grimaced at her then picked up the stool she had knocked over in her rush to get Maura and sat back on it.

"This will hurt. Would ben better fer us both if ye had stayed ou' t' 't."

Maura bristled, "I know it will hurt. I'm a doctor."

Jane barked a malicious laugh that frightened Maura.

"Sure ye be lady. An' I'm th' Queen o' England. Now be quiet an' let me work."

Maura closed her eyes angrily and took a deep breath as Jane studied the gash in her side; she grabbed the whiskey bottle and watched Maura's fists tighten at her sides as the dark liquid hit her side. Having found the wound sufficiently clean Jane reached over to the small chest of drawers along the wall near Maura's head and opened a draw. She rustled through before pulling out some twine and a large needle, then lit a candle and waved the pin through the flame before she threaded the twine. Maura watched her quietly, somewhat surprised by her skillful hands. Jane caught Maura watching her and grunted, "Close yer eyes." Maura did so then let out a small cry of pain as Jane quickly pierced her skin then again on the other side and tied a stitch. Fresh blood began to ooze from the wound and tears from the corners of Maura's eyes as Jane continued working with precision. Between yelps of pain, blood and tears Jane eventually finished and poured more whiskey over the stitches to clean everything.

"Tis finished. Sit up." Maura wiped the remaining tears from her cheeks and sat up gingerly. She let out a shriek of angry surprise as Jane bent her handsome face close enough to Maura's to be able to kiss her, wrapped an arm around her back, the other under her knees and lifted her against her chest as though she was as light as a piece of paper. Maura fought against her but it was in vein, Jane's arms clamped harder around her and she was unable to move.

"Quit strugglin' god dammit!" She kicked the door open angrily and stomped through the corridor and up the stairs. When they reached the deck the first thing Maura noticed was the strong smell of the ocean; it hit her like a wall of salt almost suffocating her senses. The sky was crystal blue, large white billowy clouds passed lazily across the sky and the wind blew strong, sea gulls squawking loudly overhead. She was right; they were on a ship, a beautiful ship. Maura noticed before she was all but dropped by Jane that it was cleaner than she would have imagined a ship to be.

"Get in thar!" Jane snarled at Maura as she put her down, before pushing the shorter woman behind a not so private wooden screen and she stumbled back and hit the side of the ship. Turning Maura looked out over the vast expanse of the ocean towards the dwindling headlands that was Boston and she wanted to shout out, call out for her father. She eyed the rolling green depths with fear, wondering if she could jump overboard and swim but Jane seemed to be able to read her thoughts.

"Don`t e'en think about 't lass. Ye wouldna e'en make 't half way before drownin' or gettin' ripped t' pieces by sharks." Maura turned a pale shade of white at Jane's words and took one last longing looking at the sea and the mountains in the distance before turning back around. She had been kidnapped. She was now at the mercy of these barbaric monsters and she shivered in the cold wind as tears began to slip down her cheeks.

"Take off yer clothes."

Maura raised her eyes to Jane's solemn face, "Wh…what?"

"I said takeoff yer clothes lass. Come on I be havin' nay got all day." It was then Maura noticed all the other pirates who were on deck, all the other pirates who had stopped what they were doing to watch her with greedy interest and lust, only one, a dark skinned man gazed at her in what Maura could assume was almost a friendly way. There was no way she was going to undress in front of all those terrifying men and she clutched a hand to her chest and took a step backwards. Jane had been watching her like a hawk intent on her prey and at Maura's glance of fear she followed the woman's line of sight and noticed all her men bar Barry were eying Maura hungrily, staring at her like they had never seen a woman before. Jane clenched her fists together tightly and hollered at them, "Get back t' work ye slack jawed idiots! If anyone o' ye so much as touches th' lass' I will cut off yer dick an' feed 't t' ye!"

Maura blanched visibly at Jane's harsh words and the threatening tone in which they were said, she had never heard such vulgar language before, let alone from a woman and she was disgusted.

_Lord have mercy I have to find a way off this ship! I can't believe this is happening! It has to be a nightmare!_

The men all scattered at Jane's words and she turned back to Maura, "Undress. Now. Give me yer clothes once they be off." Maura knew Jane was the captain of this ship even as they were below deck. The woman was a commanding presence, everything she said to Maura she expected it to be obeyed immediately, and without question. Maura had seen it in her challenging eyes. Then when she saw the way Jane had just handled a ship full of dangerous men with one loud bellow it only confirmed what she already knew. Jane was a pirate, and the captain of this ship. Her frightened hazel eyes met Jane's impatient ones and they stared at each other a few moments. Maura felt the hair at the nape of her neck stand up and quickly averted her gaze and quietly set about removing her clothes, she was so nervous she stumbled with everything until she was finally stark naked and freezing. She hid her nakedness as much as she could by leaning further into the screen. She picked up all her now ruined garments and the stitches in her side protested and she hissed in pain. The wound began weeping slowly around the stitches as Maura hung her clothes over the screen only to receive a bucket of freezing cold water dumped over her head.

She squealed in protest, "Oh God that's cold!" and was rewarded with a low chuckle from Jane, then her olive skinned hand shoved a bar of soap at Maura from behind the screen.  
>"Wash yourself." Maura raised a delicate blonde eye brow and began washing.<p>

_Really I think I know what to do with a bar of soap…I'm not stupid!_

She barely had time to use the soap when Jane tossed another bucket of cold water on her and again she squealed in protest. She hurried to wash her hair and body as quickly as she could, removing the vomit and moving cautiously around her wound. Jane finished off by throwing three more buckets of water over her from atop the screen and by this time Maura hands and feet had turned purple. She stood miserably, shivering violently, goose bumps over every inch of her skin. Jane threw a small rag over the screen and she dried herself as best she could before a different dress was tossed over the screen. Maura eyed in it alarm, it looked old and smelt musty, but seemed clean and presentable enough.

_Why does this wo…pirate have dresses on board her ship? Clearly she doesn't wear them._

Maura had already taken notice of Jane's knee high black boots, black breaches, and white long sleeved cotton shirt that was tucked neatly into her breaches, cutlass and pistols secured firmly to her narrow waist. That and the fact the white shirt she was wearing was covered in Maura's vomit and blood.

_Good!_ She thought angrily. _Serves her right!_

Maura fished drying herself and pulled the dress off the screen and over her head, it was too tight and Maura stared in horror as her generous bosom threatened to spill out the top of the low cut. Maura wished sorely for something to cover them then looked down at the small rag on the deck and decided that would have to do until she could cover up some other way. Stepping out from behind the screen Jane turned to her and her gaze wondered lazily down Maura's neck to the towel stuffed in the front of her dress and a dark eyebrow rose sarcastically but she said nothing as she turned away, "Follow me." Maura followed Jane back down below deck wincing at each step and stumbling against the wall as the ship swayed suddenly making Jane turn around, "Hurry!" She followed Jane into the cabin they had been in and Jane walked over to the drawers and pulled a small jar of something black and suspicious. She gave it to her then told Maura to follow her again as they walked back into the narrow hallway and Jane opened the door on the opposite side. Maura followed her into the small cabin and saw a single cot against the wall, bedside table and small desk with chair.

"This be 'ere ye will stay, use that cream once a day on yer wound." Maura turned to Jane who turned to leave and Maura gasped, "But why am I here, why are you doing this? Where are you taking me?"

Jane merely glared at Maura and shut the door with a loud thud. Maura stared at the door before slumping down on the narrow hard cot. She put her head in her hands and began to cry.


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter Thirteen**

Jane having finished dealing with the frustrating captive strode up the stairs and onto her deck, the smell of the woman's blood and puke was pervading her senses and she grimaced. The blood she wasn't fathomed by, the vomit on the other hand was a different story. It smelt disgusting and Jane growled as she walked up the stairs to the stern and strode to the wheel where Barry was steering her ship through the green waters. He raised amused eyebrows when he saw Jane's appearance.

"What happened t' ye?" He said fighting a laugh.

"Woman vomited on me o' course! I swear this be th' last time I kidnap some pathetic annoyin' female fer coin."

"You say that ever' time captain," Barry pointed out, eyes remaining on his task of handling Jane's ship. Jane glared at him before replying, "Yes that be until this one vomited all o'er me, now I' really done."

Barry laughed a hearty bellow and Jane hocked a spitball over the back of her ship, "Shut up Barry or I`ll nail yer balls t' th' deck." Barry stopped laughing, wiping his eyes with mirth. He knew Jane wouldn't ever do it; she was gruff and threatening with him only in jest. He remembered the first time they had crossed paths many years ago. He had been young, naive and thirsty, but a lad of fifteen and lost in the forests of Boston for over two weeks. He and his parents had been shipped to Boston from Africa in chains to be sold into a life of slavery. The journey look months by sea and over half of the helpless slaves had perished in the hellish hull of the large slave trader. All these years later Barry still remembered the putrid smell of death, decay and degradation aboard the ghastly ship. Roughly, only one hundred slaves had survived the harsh journey and Barry's parents weren't two of them, only the strongest survived and Barry being young was just that, he was also healthy. He remembered being shackled in a prison cell, the weight of the death of his parents crushing his young heart. He was to be auctioned naked at the markets, paraded around, prodded and poked like an animal for sale.

But Barry would not stand for it, he had been brought by a harsh man and his young wife, and was to work their fields and break his back for them the rest of his remaining years. On the second night at his new 'home' Barry had made a break for it and wound up lost in the savage unforgiving landscape and almost three weeks later, bloodied, bruised, clothes torn to shreds but young dignity still in tack he had stumbled upon a small town. He remained in the forest a few more days watching the town and its people, suspicious and frightened of being captured again. When it looked as though most the people where just poor farmers and such Barry had slowly ventured further until he was walking along the small main street, his worn boots scuffed in the dirt as he stopped in front of a tavern, oblivious to the fact black men weren't allowed in a white man's bar. All he saw was his immense thirst and ignoring curious and hostile glances from passerby's he walked into the bar. The lively music an old man had been playing on a piano stopped abruptly and all manner of men stopped what they were doing to glare at him. The bartender stared at him with malice.

"Hey you, nigga, I don't serve your kind in here, get you worthless arse outta my bar and don't ever step foot back in it!" He spat for emphasis. Barry noticed a large hulk of a man stand up with a knife as long as his thick forearm and he blanched before the man came at him waving the deadly blade. He was pin wheeling backwards trying to get out of the man's reach when a flash of dark curls whipped in front of him and the large man stopped and roared at Jane, "Get outta me way ya stupid bitch!"

Jane merely stood her ground a defiant expression on her young hard face, "I be goin' nowhere ye stupid brute." The man raised his enormous arm intent on back handing Jane but she was quicker and sent a bony knee cracking into his groin. The man roared and dropped like a sack of potatoes, bear hands stuck between his legs. Jane spat on him and turned to a frightened bewildered Barry.

"Come boy, let's go." She spoke deeply. Barry nodded and followed her without hesitation out the bar leaving the big man on the floor with a ruptured ball sack.

Barry came back to the present and glanced at Jane with respect and admiration. She caught him and glared at him, "What ye be lookin' at me like that fer? I swear yer gettin' soft Barry."

He merely smiled and replied, "What do ye want captain?"

"I want ye t' keep watch o'er th' lass. Th' boys ain`t had a lass in moons, an' I canna say I blame them, I haven`t either, but I can handle myself, they can`t." Barry understood and nodded.

"Aye Jane I will keep an eye on th' woman."

"Good. I`m goin' t' get this shit washed off me. Get me brothers up here an' tell them t' keep an eye on th' lass as well. Tommy`s ruled by his dick but I trust th' lad t' keep't in his breaches an' help."

With that Jane stormed off to leave Barry shaking his head.

**J&M**

Maura had been mindlessly counting the days that had been passing by. Seven days she counted. Seven days had dragged by since she had been kidnapped. For a week she had been confined to the small cabin in the ship. It had been week since she had seen the ferocious captain, for which she was genuinely thankful. But Maura was absolutely itching to be out of her prison, itching to be in the warm sunlight, to feel the fresh air on her skin, stirring her golden hair, not stuck in this stuffy claustrophobic cabin, she was going stir crazy. She had nothing to do, no books, no paper to write on, nothing to keep her attention but her thoughts. There was a small window in which she could not look out of for long periods of time without being sick. The constant rock and sway of the ship earned her, her very own bucket as she had spent the first few days vomiting nonstop from seasickness.

A short obese man with a hideous scar that disfigured his plump face had bought two unappetizing meals to her each day; Maura had assumed he was the cook, and not a good one at that. The food was usually stale, tasteless and unpalatable, but she was hungry and needed what sustenance she could get. The dark skinned man had come regularly to empty her spew and toilet buckets and she had felt mortified by someone taking care of her toiletries, even if he was a pirate. She had tried to talk to the man with warm brown eyes and shaved dark hair but he didn't say a word to her the whole time, he merely went about his business like she wasn't even there. She was freezing cold at nights, the thin, itchy blanket on the cot wasn't enough to keep the chill at bay, and it was the nights that were the loneliest for her. She'd think of her father, Trudy and the girls and Garrett and wonder with a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach if she would ever see them again. What were they doing right now? Were they looking for her? Were they missing her as much as she was missing them? She would end up crying herself into a restless sleep each night and awake early each morning to the cook bringing her breakfast. She began to lose weight even though she was eating, no one had said a word to her the whole time and she was actually desperate to have someone talk with her.

The cream Jane had given her smelt to high heaven and it made her feel all the more nauseous and she was sure it added to her vomiting those first few days but she persisted using it because it soothed her wound and helped heal it. The stitches were ready to be removed and she tried to pick them out as her flesh was growing around them but she only succeeded in getting one out. Maura felt as though the walls of the cabin were irreversibly closing in on her and she couldn't take much more of it, she finished her breakfast of stale biscuit, maze cake and black sugarless tea and waited for the cook to come back to collect the plate and cup. When the dark man came she would politely tell him her stitches needed to be removed in the hope he would help her. She lay down on the stiff cot when she heard the door to her cabin open, it would be the cook and she closed her eyes waited for him to leave. What she hadn't expected was Jane to walk through the door and stand next to her cot. Maura felt rather than saw a strong presence in the cabin and smelt the unmistakable smell of sandalwood. The cook didn't smell like sandalwood, the cook smelled awful. Maura opened her eyes cautiously and gasped as a strong, clean-cut Jane stood over her in freshly pressed clothing. Her wild hair was tied up but bits still strayed out anyway, her strong jaw was clenching and Maura noticed the crease in her chin deepen. Jane looked down a Maura with distaste the woman was a mess. She had lost weight, there were dark circles under her expressive red-rimmed eyes, her skin was a pale doughy color, the room smelt like vomit and stale sweat, and Jane grimaced further. She was used to such things but this woman was weak and it annoyed her. She noted she would have to have a stern word with cook to feed Maura better; she couldn't have the woman lose any more weight off her already small frame.

_God 't fuckin' reeks in here! _

To say Jane was looking forward to spending the next hour or more in the woman's presence was a severe understatement, but it was necessary so Jane spoke up gruffly, "You come wi' me." Maura had gone from wary to angry in a nanosecond. No one on this god forsaken ship had spoken a word to her in a week, she was kept locked up like a rat in a cage and then this wo…this pirate had the nerve to come down here and give her orders. She didn't even bother to ask her name!

"My names Maura. Use it please. Oh and my stitches need to be removed." Jane looked satisfyingly startled a few seconds before she masked it and a silent rage settled over her dangerous features. Maura regretted her statement immediately; she had pushed the horrible beast too far, she didn't even know where her courage had come from. She braced herself for a fist but instead got barely controlled rage, "You do nay tell me what t' do. Do ye hear me?"

The temporary bravado left Maura and she nodded weakly avoiding Jane's harsh eyes.

"Now get up an' come wi' me," She snapped and Maura flinched before standing and following her quietly back into the medical cabin.

"Take off yer dress an' put these on!" Jane shoved breaches and a shirt at a wide eyed Maura. She almost sighed out loud at the thought of getting out of this dirty dress, but Jane was handing her mens clothes.

"But...but these are mens clothes."

"I know what they be lass. I want ye t' get them on before I do 't fer ye!" Jane turned and Maura hurried to get her dress off and the oversized breaches and shirt on, the thought of having the brash murderer's heated eyes roaming her body and her cruel hands touching it made Maura shiver with disgust.

"I'm dressed."

"Good. Now lie down." Maura did so. The clothes felt horribly exposing yet oddly freeing, she had never once worn breaches and the soft fabric rubbed her in all the wrong places. Maura decided rather quickly she didn't like these clothes. She jumped as Jane lifted her shirt slightly and studied her wound before grunting in satisfaction.

"You been usin' th' cream?"

"Yes." Jane grunted once more and turned to the draws.

_Really the woman grunts and snorts more than a pig! _Maura thought testily.

Jane sat down on the stool, grabbed a whiskey bottle and poured some onto a clean rag and wiped it methodically over Maura's now healed wound. She was concentrating seriously as she grabbed a small sharp knife and hooked it under each stitch cutting them swiftly. She slid the stitches through and out of Maura's skin and threw them in a wooden bowl along with the rag. Jane prodded the wound to make sure it was fine and Maura flinched as rough knuckles brushed her hipbone, she stood and reappeared in Maura's sight holding a different dress. She dropped it on Maura's stomach.

"Put this on. Ye can wear them breaches on deck if ye want me men lined up t' bone ye." The woman turned white, her horrified eyes on Jane as she hastily grabbed the dress and got off the table. Jane turned around and waited for Maura to change. If her men saw a beautiful woman like Maura on deck after months of being at sea without one, in breaches and shirt that clearly showed off her breasts Jane was sure she would have war on her hands. She shifted uncomfortably, angry to admit the sight of the woman's ample breasts and small arse in mens clothing had caused her nether regions to cramp painfully.

_God almighty months without a lass beneath me has me wantin' t' bunk anythin'!_

"I'm finished." Maura stated quietly drawing Jane out of her frustrated state.

"Follow me," Was all she muttered before storming out of the cabin to go on deck and Maura had to almost skip to keep up with the tall angry pirate. Following Jane up onto the deck the brightness of the sun hit her eyes and she closed them painfully, tears squeezed past her eyelids and she wiped them away quickly and opened her eyes again blinking furiously to get them used to the light again. Jane stood and stared blatantly at the woman waiting for her to hurry up and follow her. Maura took a large breath of fresh sea air and almost laughed giddily.

_Oh this fresh air is just glorious! _

Eyes closed she sucked in more fresh air gratefully and actually smiled. Jane was getting all the more impatient until she saw the woman smile, her whole face seemed to light up and Jane was as at a loss as to why she was smiling. She glanced around her deck and noticed that once again most of her men were watching Maura, faces hungry and tight with repressed lust. She shook her head and walked toward the woman grabbing her arm and shoving her roughly in front of her.

"Move!" she commanded.

Maura looked back at her angrily then started walking.

_About fuckin' time, walk woman!_

Maura stumbled up the steps heading to the stern and Jane's rough hand grabbed her arm and held her up before she fell. Once she let go, Maura smoothed her dress before continuing and Jane rolled her eyes. Maura walked to the stern and noticed the dark man who had been taking care of her toiletries was steering the ship with a wheel that came almost to his shoulders, his brown arms were bare and the muscles in his forearms bunched tightly as he turned the great wheel. Before Maura had took time to think she had blurted out, "What's your name?" The dark man's eyes met the woman standing closely behind her and she waited as they spoke without words. Finally, he turned his kind eyes to hers, "Barry," He said simply and Maura nodded. Jane shoved her aside with a grunt as she walked over to Barry.

"Ye can go Barry. Tell Frankie t' take up watch." He nodded at her before glancing back to Maura then walking down the steps. Jane had taken hold of the wheel as was standing with her muscled legs wide apart and her head tilted upward slightly and Maura was surprised how well it suited the woman to be standing that way and commanding a great ship merely with her hands.

"Stay back thar!" She barked at Maura, not even turning, before ignoring her effortlessly. Maura glared at the pirates back then turned around and walked towards the stern railing. She ran her hands along the smoothly polished wood and sighed, it really was a beautiful ship. She turned and gazed high up into the sails; they were a crisp white and billowed proudly as the wind bore them along. Maura was happy to be out of cramped cabin, she didn't know how long she would be out up here but decided to make the most of it. She studied all the rope and tackle on the great ship and the sturdy deck beneath her feet, the way it had been scrubbed and cleaned. The air was sweet and clean, the sun hot on her head and she sighed gladly. It was her first time on a ship and although she wished fervently in was under better circumstances she admitted easily to herself her love of ships had increased tenfold. The swaying and rolling beneath her feet was interesting now she had gotten used to it and wasn't vomiting anymore. She walked towards Jane and stood by her side and placed her hands on the railing in front of the large wheel to look down over the rest of the ship. Jane glanced at her out of the corner of her eye in mild annoyance but continued to ignore her. Maura watched in fascination at the workings of the ship, how each pirate worked the ropes to Jane's commands and how the ship responded to each change with smooth grace as though it was eager to please its captain. Maura realized the ship should have a name and glanced sideways up at Jane to gauge her mood, wanting to know the ships name. Jane was concentrating moodily, her gaze straight ahead and Maura wondered briefly if she ever relaxed.

_Probably not. She's too busy being a savage uncouth pirate. _

She was surprised to find she actually wanted to know how the woman had become a pirate, just as she had become a doctor but dismissed the thought just as quickly, she was sure the pirate would push her overboard rather than answer her questions. Now that Maura was above deck and had plenty to occupy her, the ache in her heart for her father and Garrett lessened a little and she was glad she had other things to occupy her thoughts for the time being. Thinking of them, of being home with them was almost unbearable and she squeezed her eyes shut tight. She turned around and left the solemn pirates side and went back to the stern rail, she opened her eyes over the unlimited ocean and hot tears slipped down her soft cheeks.


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter Fourteen**

Maura wiped her tears off her cheeks and watched the other ship that was trailing farther back behind Jane's. She had noticed it from the corner of her eye when she had asked Barry his name before, but had kept silent. The ship was larger than Jane's and rather dirty, the huge sails were old and stained brown, the hull's paint weak and faded. It looked impossibly menacing and Maura shuddered.

_Where are all you monsters taking me?_

She looked past the ship in search for land but did not find any so she leaned against the stern rail and simply watched the ocean and the sky. Jane never said a word to her the whole time yet Maura was strangely aware of the pirate and it unnerved her. She was listening to the crash of the sea against the ship's hull when she heard an altogether larger crash further off in the ocean, her head shot up in the direction of the sound and all she saw was a circle of foamy water out to her left between the two ships. She was utterly confused and curious as to what had made it when a ginormous humpback whale launched its massive body out of the water sideways and fell with a huge crash against the sea. Maura gasped in delight and laughed, she had never seen whale in real life, only in books, and she was in awe. It breached the water again spraying water high in the air through its blowhole and Maura stared in wonder. Her smile was huge as the enormous creature kept on breaching the surface and Maura laughed again. Jane turned her head in annoyance thinking the woman had gone mad until she realized she was watching a whale; Jane had been concentrating and hadn't even heard it. Ignoring the woman she tuned back around and continued steering her Brig towards the long cluster of small islands grouped tightly together, she was aiming for the one known as Devil's Peak. It was her go to island between trips from America and her hideout in the Caribbean. Maura had been on deck for over an hour and Jane was just glad the woman hadn't spoken to her and stayed out her way.

"Barry!" Jane barked making Maura jump. Barry appeared shortly by Jane's side and Maura turned around and stared in astonishment at all the islands in front of them that had sneaked up on her when she had been looking the other way. She stared at the huge mountain on what seemed the main island in the middle. It was stunningly beautiful, covered in thick forest and overgrowth.

"Get th' boy's t' drop anchor an' get Frankie an' Tommy up here." He nodded and went to do as asked. Maura walked back near Jane and watched some pirates loosen a large metal anchor, which dropped into the sea with quick speed. It didn't take her long to notice a man climbing down the main mast like a monkey; he was quick and agile and never missed a foothold, Maura was quite in awe of his strength as he jumped and landed on the deck next to Barry and as Barry came striding down the ship with the two pirates she watched warily as they came up the stairs behind him. They were roughly the same height as each other but not as tall as Jane was nor as short as Barry. The one who had come from the crows nest had the same dark coloring as Jane and stared solemnly at her and Maura thought perhaps he looked a little like the captain, the other was smiling lavishly at her and Maura cringed, his light bluish green eyes were staring at her breasts.

"Tommy stop starin' at th' lass' tits!" The light eyes dropped from her breasts and looked instead to Jane.

"Barry an' me be goin' t' Devil`s Peak. Stay here an' keep an eye on th' lass. If anythin' happens t' her ye`ll both be keelhauled." Jane spoke more to Tommy then Frankie, as Frankie was more like her and took everything seriously, only he was considerably less angry.

"She be t' stay exactly 'ere she be, dasn't let th' lass' wonder around. Frankie when Vince catches up let th' man know what be happenin'." Frankie nodded.

Maura thought the one Jane had called Tommy looked extremely satisfied Jane and Barry were going ashore and leaving her with the two of them and although Maura disliked Jane, she suddenly wished she wasn't leaving the ship. But Jane had already turned around and Barry followed behind her. Maura turned her frightened eyes towards Frankie and Tommy and Tommy smiled widely at her and she noticed two of his top teeth were gold; he turned away from Maura a smirk on his handsome face and pulled out a smoke from his breaches. He lit it and stared out across the islands. She glanced at Frankie but he too had turned away. Then she noticed Jane and Barry had returned from below deck with rifles, traps and an assortment of other necessities and she and some of her men worked to get a small boat off deck and into the sea. She had rolled up her white sleeves and Maura noticed her tanned muscled forearms before the pair of them disappeared over the side of the ship and she walked to the side and glanced over to watch Jane row away with strong sure strokes. She felt a strong warm hand on her shoulder and jumped before pulling away from Tommy's touch, he grinned at her stupidly then spat on the deck.

"Hello thar lass, I be Tommy." He had a playful lilt to his deep voice. Maura stared at him quizzically unsure of him and not liking the way he was trying to flirt with her.

"What`s th' matter? Shark got yer tongue?" He stroked his dark brown beard in confusion.

"I think yer what`s th' matter wi' th' lass' Tommy." Frankie stated out of boredom, he too had lit a smoke and was drawing on it lazily. Tommy turned to him with a snarl.

"Shut yer gob or I`ll shove me dick in it."

"Of course ye would. Ye would shove yer dick in anythin' brother." That was all Tommy needed to hear and he lunged at his older brother swinging a fast right hook at Frankie, who was expecting this reaction from Tommy and therefore had enough time to jump back out of the line of his hard fist and glide back in with his own right hitting Tommy squarely in his jaw. He stumbled back and spit out blood as Maura watched on in horror, they were barbarians, the lot of them, disgusting, rude, uncultured swine's.

Tommy made to have another go at Frankie, furious at being bested in front of the gorgeous woman by his older brother but again he wasn't quick enough and Frankie slammed him in the same spot once more, spraying blood all over Maura's face.

"Now look what ye be havin' done!" Tommy yelled at Frankie before deciding the less he spoke the better, his jaw was throbbing painfully, his brother had a nasty fist.

"I done nothin' ye idiot, 'tis yer own fault. Now go an' get a rag fer th' woman."

Tommy spat a mouthful of blood furiously then stormed down the stairs, his plan to impress Maura had backfired pitifully and he was more than angry. Frankie smiled secretly to himself, it had been his intention to knock his little brother's enormous ego down a peg and he had succeeded in doing so. He turned to the woman who Jane had said was called Maura and twisted one side of his mustache thoughtfully. Her lovely face was covered in Tommy's blood and he was grateful his older sister had gone ashore. Frankie could clearly see she was disgusted and frightened, "Sorry." He spoke gruffly. Maura was of course not happy with the blood across her face but as a doctor she was used to blood, it didn't faze her, no the look of disgust was due to the two pirate's behavior. But upon hearing what actually sounded like a genuine apology from Frankie she nodded wordlessly before turning to back to the side of the ship. Jane and Barry where nowhere to be seen, but Maura could just make out a small spec which she assumed was their boat on the sand of Devil's Peak.

"Jane an' Barry be havin' gone huntin'." Frankie offered to Maura's stiff back and her head of blonde waves turned sideways to acknowledge his statement. He was a pirate yes, a murderer no doubt but he would never in a million years admit it to another soul that he was rather shy around women.

_I wonder if I could jump overboard and swim to one those the islands? Surely they have to be safer than this ship? _Maura thought longingly but she knew it was futile, she remained studying the island for a while before her nagging curiosity got the better of her and she spoke, "What are they hunting." Frankie raised a dark eyebrow; he hadn't expected the woman to talk to him and walked over and stood beside her, "Whaterethey can catch. We need fresh food. Thar both good hunters, won't come back empty handed." Maura remained quiet. Before Frankie could speak again Tommy came back with a wet rag and shoved it at Maura, it appeared he had cleaned up his busted lip and jaw before returning. Maura grabbed it and without realizing moved a little closer to Frankie before wiping her face thoroughly with the wet rag, it was cool and felt good on her warm skin; she already knew she was getting sun burnt. She handed the rag back to Tommy quickly and turned away from him. Tommy got mad and threw the rag overboard before walking over to the other side of the ship to simmer down. Maura was glad he had moved away from her and debated worriedly about asking Frankie another question, thinking he would probably roar at her and send her back to her cabin. She had so many questions and was desperate to have answers but was not willing to risk Frankie's wrath so she remained quiet. The men began singing a rather cheerful sounding sea shanty as they worked about the ship, cleaning and repairing and Maura thought that apart from a few off key voices, they sounded quite decent, she was fascinated that a ship full of murderous pirates sang, let alone half decently.

"What are they singing?" She blurted out to Frankie and he glanced down at her and actually smiled, "Bully in th' Alley.'Tis about a lassie called Sally that gave all th' men th' run around."

"Oh." Was all Maura could think of to say before her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of two quick rifle shots in the distance.

"Well one o' them jus' got somethin', bet me first born on it." Maura glanced at him in shock, astounded by Frankie's words and the way he had stated them as if it meant nothing to sacrifice his first born child.

_What on God's green earth is wrong with these people?_

Frankie however wasn't the slightest bit perturbed, he knew without a doubt that whoever had fired the shots had hit their targets.

"Ye? A father?" Tommy snorted and laughed, he had obviously been listening to their short exchange.

"What in th' hell be so funny about that?"

"Oh jus' th' fact that ye dasn't ever get between a lass`s legs much, ain`t got nay chance o' bein' a daddy if ye dasn't fuck." Maura looked repulsed by Tommy and Frankie turned and snarled at him, "Get lost Tommy I will watch th' lass myself."

"Sure yer man enough t' handle th' lass' laddie, I heard Jane say she`s a bit o' a wild one." Maura gasped at Tommy, offended at his words and the fact Jane had said that about her.

_She doesn't even know me, how dare she! She's even more unbearable then Doctor Pike!_

Maura was a very kindhearted person; it was rare she met someone she wasn't kind to, rare for her to dislike anyone even if she necessarily didn't know how to talk to people properly. But there was just something about some of these pirates, particularly the captain that was getting on her nerves. Maura usually took insults in her stride and didn't retaliate, even if hurt or wounded her, yet although she didn't know why this time, she had a sense it was going to be a challenge for her to be around these brash pirates and not want to insult them back.

"I'll give ye wild if ye dasn't get yer skinny arse outta here!" Frankie barked which only stirred Tommy more; he laughed manically, slapped his thick thigh and walked away muttering obscenities under his breath. The silence was heavy after Tommy left and Maura released the pirates had stopped singing to watch their exchange with interest but when it became clear to them the action was passed they muttered and scratched their privates and belched loudly in front of Maura, and she scrunched her nose up at their lack of manners. She heard two more rifle shots, and tuned back to the island to notice a cloud of tiny dots rising into the air flying away, and she wondered what type of birds they were.

"Would you happen to know what type of birds they are?" She risked asking Frankie a question, but it seemed as though he didn't mind though because he squinted at them, "A flock o' Jranko`s, uh vultures. I've been on these waters most me life, I know what be what." If Frankie thought it odd a woman such as Maura was asking about birds he didn't show it. In fact Maura thought somewhat warily that Frankie didn't seem as frightening as the others. He was dangerous yes but he didn't give off a dangerous vibe like Jane, Tommy and the others. Maura would of course need much more evidence and proof to back this thought up but for now she was a little less worried and nervous being by his side.


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter Fifteen**

Jane was contented to be off her ship for a while and have her sturdy legs on solid ground, the lure of the seas was like a magnet for Jane, and although she belonged there, she needed her time on solid ground just as much. It had been five months since she had been to her hideout, and it was still just over a week until she would be back there. Barry was traipsing though the undergrowth beside her, they were both keeping their footsteps light, avoiding hitting anything that would create loud noise. They were on the hunt for fresh meat, both having done this many times on this very island they knew the best places to find game. Jane glanced at Barry and nodded and he branched off from her to find his own prey. The forest was dense, the air heavy with humidity, and she squatted and quietly tied a crimson bandana around her forehead to keep the sweat from her eyes. Jane Rizzoli was lethal with any weapon she had in her hands. She stood and continued to prowl like a jaguar who silently stalks its prey. She knew Barry was close by but she was a solitary hunter, she didn't need the distraction other people created, even if it was Barry. It suited Barry just fine as he hunted alone also, but they were close enough to each other if one of them needed assistance or help.

"All right, let`s be seein' what ye can get." She spoke quietly to herself as she drew nearer the clearing. Silently slipping through the trees and bushes, she was on the borderline of the forest and the sand of a crystal clear waterhole. It was one of the two main water sources on the island; Barry had gone to the other. She scanned the area efficiently and ever so quietly cocked the firing hammer on her rifle, she was always the first to shoot, and Barry would follow her lead. She lifted the rifle, sighted a lovely dear drinking from the inviting water and pulled the trigger watching the dear fall, and in a split matter of seconds, had the rifle reloaded and another deer downed. Both were shot through the neck, cleans kills, dead before they had hit the earth. Having scared off every other animal from the waterhole she stood and left the undergrowth to collect her kills. Satisfied with her shooting she sweated liberally as she reloaded and strapped her rifle and set about hoisting a dear to each of her shoulders. Her breath was coming in ragged pants as she reached the hot white sand and dumped the dear into the rowboat. Spitting on the sand she then washed her face in the rough surf before covering the dear with a sheet and striding back up the beach and into the forest. She heard two quick shots ring out through the forest and smiled.

_Aye Barry be almost as quick as I be now._ _Better nay let th' lad know or he be gettin' a big head _She thought with amusement as she headed back to where she and Barry had set the traps when they had first come ashore. They had set four traps on the outskirts of a field of naturally growing sugar cane as rabbits seemed to enjoy eating the leaves off the cane and were an easy kill. They would come cautiously out into the field and more often than not stumble upon the traps and meet a painful, grizzly death. Jane shrugged and shoved her way through the forest going in the opposite direction of the waterhole towards the sugar cane and grunted when she found each trap closed upon a helplessly struggling rabbit. She made short work of breaking their necks and removing them from the traps before tying one foot from each one together to form a bundle. She said thank you to each of the animals for sacrificing their lives for them then gathered the traps and slung the rabbit bundle over her shoulder and they bounced and banged against her broad back as she walked. Barry was on the beach when she returned, just as sweaty and bloodied as she was. Tossing the traps and rabbits into the boat she noted Barry had brought back two dear and a young boar, with only two bullets. She glanced mildly at his grinning countenance and raised a questioning eyebrow.

"Got two dear wi' one bullet. Took th' boar down after." He shrugged matter-of-factually.

"Good shootin' Barry. Aye that be real good shootin'." And he smiled proudly at her compliment, as they were few and far between.

"This ortin' ta be enough t' tide us o'er until we get home." Barry stated and Jane agreed with a nod. They both gasped and strained as they pushed the boat down the beach and back into the surf, the water came up to their legs and it was cool and refreshing. The boat floated much lower in the water with the added weight, and Jane took up the oars once more, her muscled arms and shoulders bunched proudly as she worked with fierce strength, she was dripping with sweat by the time they had got back to her ship and Barry yelled up the hull for assistance. Some of the men threw ropes over the side and Jane and Barry looped them around the carcasses and watched as they were pulled up the side. As Jane was watching one of the dears progress she saw a head poke over the side further towards the back of the ship. She looked up towards it and noticed the woman watching her in shock and Jane scowled, she had forgotten about her and was loathed to be reminded of the woman's presence aboard her ship.

_She's worth a lot o' coin, jus' keep rememberin' that. _

She looked away and helped with the remaining carcasses then threw the rabbits over her shoulder, took hold of the traps and climbed up the ladder until she was on deck. Maura looked towards Jane noticing how sweaty, bloodied and dirty she was but Jane was not paying her the slightest attention, she was busy organizing her men.

"Hector, help Nick get this meat down t' cook and when he be done get half o' 't over t' Vince."

Maura watched as two pirates nodded and began to heft the carcasses onto their shoulders.

"Connor, Jack, Henry an' Avery grab a barrel each 'tis yer turn t' go ashore an' grab fresh water. I want ye t' brin' back some sugar cane an' coconuts n' give half t' Vince, the rest o' ye after ye help get th' boats into th' sea can do what ye like."

The remaining men cheered Jane, happy to have some free time and she strode to the starboard side where Orpheus had only just joined Spiritus at anchorage. Vince had been waiting to speak with her.

"How did yer huntin' go captain?"

"We got enough t' last a couple o' days. Some o' th' boys will brin' half o'er when cooks finished wi' 't." Jane eyed Orpheus quickly, "How be she holdin' up?"

"She be sturdy, dirty an' in need o' some care but she be holdin' up jus' fine."

"Good. Me an' Barry be goin' t' search th' reefs, brin' ye some o' them slimy snot balls back," Vince rubbed his protruding belly with excitement and Jane grimaced, she detested oysters.

She went up to the stern and noticed Tommy was nowhere in sight.

"Where's Tommy?"

"He be bein' an arse so I told th' lad t' get lost. Canna keep 't in his pants."

"God Tommy! I`ll end up killin' th' lad." She grumbled pushing her hair through her wild hair impatiently. "I`m goin' t' scale some o' th' reef wi' Barry, we need t' get it done then move on before night fall."

"Right."

"She," Jane glanced briefly at Maura, "Been behavin'?" Maura shot an irritated glance towards the dirty, sweaty pirate.

"Yes, she be fine."

"Good I'm off."

Jane stalked off down to Barry and they went back over the side, down the ladder and into the boat. The other men were going about getting barrels into the boats and onto the water. The heat was starting to get to Maura and she was feeling rather tired and thirsty, she was not used to being under such hot sun for long periods and it was taking its toll, she could feel her cheeks heating up and new they were burnt. She decided to just ask Frankie for something to drink, he could only say yes or no.

"Would it be too much trouble if I could have something to drink?"

Frankie lit another smoke and inhaled, "I will go get ye some water."

"Thank you." She needed to sit down before she fell down, so she made her way awkwardly to the deck and lent her head back against the side of the ship and Frankie came back in no time and noticed Maura on the deck.

"Are ye arrite? What happened?" Jane would skin him alive and gladly feed it to the sharks if anything happened to the woman who was sitting in front of him. They had kidnapped women many a time through the years, but this woman was the wealthiest, her father the wealthiest and Frankie did not want the wrath of Jane upon his head because he lost them their treasure if the woman carked it on his watch.

"Oh…I'm just a little tired and shaky, I'm not used to being in the sun so long." Frankie cursed quietly and bent down beside Maura handing her the wooden cup of water. She took it gladly and drunk slowly appreciating the cool liquid in her dry throat.

"I ortin' ta take ye back t' yer cabin."

Maura coughed on her water, "Oh please don't I've been in there a week." She realized she had misspoken and waited for Frankie to roar at her like Jane did, but nothing happened, she peeked a hazel eye open and he was looking away lost in thought, twisting his impressive mustache.

"Jane won`t be happy if somethin' happens t' you, she will be havin' th' cat o' nine tails on me, nay doubt."

Maura blinked, "What's the cat of nine tails?"

"You dasn't want t' know lass," He seemed to hesitate, "Are ye sure ye be okay?"

"Yes…yes I'm fine."

"Just stay on th' deck."

Maura did not argue, she felt better for having water but remained on the deck until she felt strong enough to stand. Frankie sat on the side rail and took note on what was happening they remained silent until Maura tried to stand up. Frankie noticed and helped her back up; she was looking a lot better than she had earlier so he assumed she had recovered. Jane and Barry's boat was the only one they could both see clearly, as it was upon a small sand bar not far from the ship, but neither of them was in the boat or on the sandbar. Maura was about to ask where they were when she saw Jane's head surface from the choppy waters, her black curly hair slick and shiny. She dumped something into the boat Maura couldn't see then took a large breath and disappeared before Barry's head popped out and he too dumped something in the boat before going back under. Despite herself, Maura was fascinated, she was quickly coming to realize their life was vastly different from her own in Boston, and as much as she wanted to be back there with her family, her desire to learn had always been strong, she wanted to find out everything she possibly could about this new way of life.

"What are they doing?"

Frankie tossed his smoke butt into the sea before speaking, "They be searchin' th' reef fer oysters an' crabs, Jane wants some fresh food t' tide us o'er a few days. It be about jus' over a week til' we get home."

_Home? Perhaps now I could possibly get some answers?_

"Home?" Maura kept her eyes on the surface of the water, watching Jane and Barry's heads.


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter ****Sixteen**

**Boston: Two days after Maura's kidnapping.**

Charles Vane stood on the gallows in the center of Inman Square, the largest in Boston and people packed the square by the thousands as public hangings were undoubtedly popular. They came in droves with all sorts of rotten food, particularly fruit and vegetables to peg at pirates, today however was an enormous event, Charles Vane was a ruthless, murderous and well-known pirate and Boston was immensely gleeful. The crowd roared and booed Charles angrily; he had already been hit with a few pieces of rotten food. He smiled ferociously, he may have been on his way to meet Lucifer and burn in hell for all eternity but even this did not frighten him, he was a happy man. His ship Orpheus was in good hands, he had his revenge; both the judge's daughter and Richards daughter had been kidnapped and would never see their families again. Those who were about to make him hurt were in turn suffering. He laughed wildly and spat randomly at people in the crowds who shrieked and raised their fists shaking them with passion. He searched the crowd recklessly and looked down to the front row where Richard Isles and Judge Paddington were standing. They had no idea that the man in front of them was responsible for the grief and worry that showed clearly on their faces. It had been two days since their daughters had been kidnapped, yet they had to be here, but Charles knew they wanted to be searching for their daughters. He could feel his penis stir in his britches, he was turned on by the fact that he had brought them to their knees so easily, that he was the one to do it. Before being transported from his cell to the gallows an elderly priest had been brought to him in case he wanted to confess his sins and make right with God, Charles had laughed viciously at the priest and rose to strike him, there was no chance he would atone for his numerous sins, especially having his victory revenge. No his home was in hell and he could not wait.

Two guards moved towards him and the crowd hushed instantaneously.

"Charles Vane, you are here today, convicted of numerous acts of piracy on the high seas." Charles kept his green eyes on Richard and Paddington as the first guard read out the multitude of crimes he had committed. He imagined their pain, their worry, their sorrow and his large penis stiffened fully, if his hands were not tied behind his back he would be jerking himself off. A man in the crowd noticed his erection, cried out in disgust, and threw a rotten apple at him, hitting him squarely in the chest. He howled in laughter as the crowds began showering him in rotten food, there was so much of it the guard was forced to stop reading Charles crimes and both of them hurried off the gallows to wait out the food storm. Once the crowds had sated their rage for the time being the two guards returned to the gallows standing on rotten produce as they went. The guard continued where he left off reading Charles crimes and when he had finished rolled up his scroll and placed it under his arm. The second guard stood up to Charles, "Is there anything you wish to say before being hung until dead?"

"I ain`t sorry fer one single thin' I`ve done. I hope ye all rot in hell wi' me!" He roared and turned towards the guard pumping his erection at the man's crotch. The crowd was furious once more and the guard who had read Charles crimes pulled him away from the other and dragged him to the noose. He covered Charles head with a black head cover and secured the noose. The crowd went from being furious to cheering with zealous glee as the wooden doors beneath Charles legs opened and he fell through, jerking violently as he came to the end of the short rope, which had been purposely shortened so as not to break his neck. Rather than dying immediately Charles was suffocated, he struggled and jerked furiously as his lungs hunted for oxygen. The veins and chords in his neck bulged enormously the more he struggled, and the crowd chanted together as one voice until eventually Charles slowed his fight for oxygen and stilled. At the end of the day, his body was taken and hung at the end of the cape where ships entered Boston, a vivid reminder that piracy was not tolerated.

**J&M**

"Aye home," Was all Frankie said and Maura's heart plummeted, she was hoping at least to find out where she was being taken against her will, it would have been one question answered and ticked off the ever-growing list in her head. She sighed and did not say anything else as she was finding it hard to fight the tears welling behind her eyes. She just wanted to be home in her father's study reading together in companionable silence, or with Trudy and the girls baking or taking a picnic with Garrett at one of her favorite parks, all these scenarios manifested in her mind and her eyes and nose burned with the effort not to cry.

_Oh how I miss you all so! I am so scared! Garrett please find me and rescue me, oh to see your handsome face and your reassuring smile. _

Frankie watched the woman's heartache play out across her beautiful face, saw how she was struggling not to break down, yet he remained silent. He just shifted a little closer to her, hoping his larger presence would somehow be comforting for her, he saw no reason to be a brute towards women, nor the other women they had kidnapped over the years. He had never betrayed his sister and told them important information or helped them escape but he was not an insensitive clod like her or his brother when it came to women, it wasn't in his nature. Tommy never ceased to stir him about it, one week he would be a big girl's blouse, the next a sissy fag, but his brother was a brainless bastard and Frankie never took any stock in what he said. He just stood next to Maura in silence; he had no idea what to say anyway. Maura had gotten her urge to cry under control and was watching Jane and Barry row back to the ship and she remembered she wanted to know what it was called.

"Wh…what is the name of this ship?"

"Spiritus."

"Uh…oh. And what does that mean?"

"I be havin' nay clue. 'Tis Jane`s ship an' she named 't, god knows what goes on in me sister's mind."

_Oh, my they are brother and sister! No wonder they look alike!_

"She's you sister?!"

"Aye that she be. Tommy be our wee brother."

"Is it just the three of you?"

"Aye. As be fer some time now. Jane be lookin' after us."

"Oh…that's, that's nice."

Frankie merely raised an eyebrow at her and snorted, it obviously was not something that would be called nice but Maura didn't know what else to say. What was she supposed to say to a gang of siblings that had kidnapped her and were taking her away from her family, her very existence? She was lost in thought had had not seen Jane and Barry return to the ship and bring aboard their catch, Jane had changed her shirt quickly and made her way up to the stern in time to hear the last of the conversation between her brother and the woman.

"I be seein' yer tellin' th' lass' all about our happy, rosy family thar Frankie."

Maura just about jumped overboard at the deep voice, she had no idea Jane was behind them. Instinctively she moved closer to Frankie, hoping perhaps he would help her before turning to face Jane. Maura felt her jaw begin to drop yet closed it quickly; Jane had on a fresh shirt and was much cleaner than she had been before. Her still damp hair was tied back, yet a multitude of small, soft fluffy curls framed her forehead and the sides of her ears, her thick black eyelashes were still wet and stuck together in clumps. If it had not been for the vicious scowl and daggers she was sending their way Maura would have thought that Jane looked rather innocent, but of course, that was ludicrous, she was far from innocent.

"Aye what`s th' problem?" Frankie spoke nonchalantly.

A muscle ticked in Jane's strong jaw, "The problem be that she be a captive on this ship, nay some fancy guest. Now go an' make yersef useful." Frankie shrugged his shoulders and walked away leaving an ill-tempered Jane looking at a worried Maura. She stepped forward and Maura's breath hitched in fright as Jane hissed menacingly, "Don`t think I dasn't know what yer tryin' t' do lass. Ye may act all kind an' innocent but I know ye ain`t lasses like ye be greedy bitches who dasn't give a fuck about anyone but yeselves n' I dasn't like ye one bit. I know yer thinkin' an' planin' a way t' screw us all over, hell I wouldna put 't past ye t' somehow brin' th' whole English Navy upon us. But let me tell ye somethin', if ye try t' fuck us o'er in anyway ye will regret 't, do ye hear me? You be here fer only two reasons. T' do what I say an' t' make me rich." Maura nodded vigorously, as tears streamed down her cheeks, the hatred this woman held for her was palatable and she shrunk under its intensity.

"Glad ye understand me, now stop cryin' before I give ye somethin' t' really bawl about." She threatened. Maura tried unsuccessfully to gulp back her tears as Jane grabbed her arm and jerked her down the steps, she whimpered with fear and the pain of Jane's grip as she yanked her down to her cabin.

"Please let go of my arm you…you're hurting me." However, Jane's grip stayed strong until she had Maura in her cabin, she let go and shoved her roughly onto the narrow cot, "Please, I haven't done anything wrong. Your brother was just…just being nice. I…I'm not trying to escape, just please don't hurt me." Maura tuned her face away from Jane and continued crying.

"Enough!" She roared, "Save yer bullshit fer someone who cares!"

Maura was completely terrified and shrunk away from Jane as much as she could.

"Jane?" Barry stood outside Maura's cabin door his eyes on the huddled form of Maura on the cot.

"What!" Jane spat.

"We ortin' ta get a move on." He kept his eyes on Maura who was trembling from fright.

"Okay!" He left to back to the deck and Jane eyed her darkly before slamming Maura's door making her jump yet again. She was in shock and had no idea what had just taken place, her heart was thudding, she was having a panic attack, she couldn't breathe properly, her lungs felt tight and painful, and she was hiccuping and gasping for air and tears streamed down her sun burnt cheeks. Maura dragged herself off the cot and stood up in an attempt to get air into her lungs and thankfully, she was able to. She paced around the tiny cabin gratefully sucking in air, tears still flowing freely.

_I must get away from here!_


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter Seventeen**

**Boston - Two days after Maura's kidnapping**

Richard Isles sat alone in his study sipping mechanically from his large whiskey, the small gold plated clocked on his desk chimed midnight yet he did not even glance at it. He felt desolate and hopeless. He was suffocating under the weight of pain and worry for his only daughter. His only daughter who had vanished without a trace two days ago, she had simply never returned home from the markets. Richard and Garrett had already smothered the market area and beyond with posters of Maura's face and who to contact if anyone had seen Maura or knew of her whereabouts. The only person who had come forth so far was an elderly woman who had told Richard that Maura had brought a vase from her and paid her more than it was worth. After that, the elderly woman had lost sight of her. It was in no way useful information but Richard was thankful the old dear had still come forth and sent her on her way with a sizable amount of coin for trying to help. It was now the beginning of day three without Maura and Richard had spent a lot of that time trying and failing to stop various ghastly scenarios playing out in his mind despite the added agony it brought him.

His tanned cheeks were encrusted with dry tears, he had never felt so hollow and destroyed since his wife, and Maura's mother had died from birthing her. She had been a small petite woman and the agony and struggle of childbirth had been too much for her to bear. Richard had lost his wife and now his daughter whom was half of Constance Isles creation, it felt to him as well as losing Maura he was losing the last part of his wife he still had with him. Maura was the spitting image of her and just as smart if not more so, Richard swiped angrily at his cheeks as fresh tears fell. The English Navy and infantry had been informed and had been searching high and low for Maura but had yet to find anything or come up with useful information. Richard had been helping them of course much to their disagreement, but Maura was everything to him and he would not sit around waiting idly while others searched for her. He would come home after each day tired and run down yet too keyed up and restless to sleep, his mind would not quit. He was already starting to run on empty and knew he needed to try and sleep to give himself the strength he needed to continue the search for his precious daughter. Garrett of course had been searching for Maura right beside him; he was furious and distraught, vowing to destroy whoever had taken Maura.

Even Trudy and the girls and wanted to help, they loved Maura and were devastated that she was not with them safe at home. None of them knew who had taken her nor why anyone would want to take her, she had no enemies. All of them missed her dearly and Richard tried his hardest not to dwell on the fact they may never see her again, instead he cried himself to sleep in his desk chair and woke up early to a knock on his study door. Trudy was standing in the doorway. She told him two officers waited outside; apparently, a little boy had been with Maura. It was all Richard needed to hear; he stood up and strode to the front door of his town house. He grabbed his jacket and opened the door, not even stopping to say thank you to Trudy, eat breakfast, freshen up or change is clothes.

**J&M**

Garrett, two English officers a small boy and a woman stood outside Richards townhouse. He nodded at them politely and blurted out quickly "What has happened, what do you know?" Then he realized he was being impolite, "Excuse me, I'm sorry. Garrett could you please introduce us?" Garrett nodded solemnly; he looked as tired as Richard felt. He had dark smudges under his eyes, his brown hair was not styled it was simply a wavy mess and his eyes were bloodshot.

_Poor lad is devastated, I will have to watch him and make sure he doesn't run himself into the ground._

Garrett cleared his throat then announced gruffly, "Richard this is Mrs. Rachel Lewis and her son James. Mrs. Lewis is a patient of Maura's at the practice." They said their hellos and Richard shook hands with Rachel before James impatiently interrupted, "Mummy I have to tell Maura's daddy what happened."

Richard was glad the small boy had spoken up; he wanted to know all the boy knew. He knelt down slowly to reach the boys height and asked him quietly, "When did you see Maura my boy, come tell me." Tears started pooling in his ice blue eyes and he squeaked out pitifully, "I saw a poster near my house. It had Miss Maura's face on it…it said she had gone missing. Its…it's all my fault. Miss Maura is gone because of…of me." Richard was alarmed and fully alert but he did not want to scare the boy, he would not speak if he were frightened.

"What dear boy, why is your fault." He spoke gently and softly to James and he looked up at the large man with the full beard and hazel eyes and was relieved to know he was not angry, "I…I helped those…the men to see Miss Maura. One said…he said he needed to see a doctor." Richard was finding it hard to make sense of what the boy was trying to say.

"James can you please start at the very start and tell me all you know. Don't worry lad, I will not be mad with you." Mrs. Lewis rested her hand gently on her son's bony shoulder, "it's okay James just tell Mr. Isles all you know, none of us are mad with you." At this reassurance, James was able to continue a bit stronger. "I was in the markets getting some bre…bread for mummy. We live very close to the markets and I wanted to be a big boy and walk there to get bread by myself. And this time mummy let me, I…I was so happy. I was there and a skinny man came up to me, he was a…a farmer. I was scared at first, I wasn't supposed to talk to strangers…but the man said his name was Daniel and we…we weren't strangers no more." Richard looked up to Garrett and the two officers and they were listening intently so he told James to continue.

"He said he wanted me to go over to Miss Maura and tell her that my…my mummy was hurt very badly and to ask her to follow me. I didn't want to lie to Miss Maura, she…she is a nice lady. But…but he showed me what I would get if I did what he asked. He…he said it was very important that he talk to her alone. I promise I didn't…mean for Miss Maura to be in danger." Large fat tears trickled down his grubby fat cheeks and he hung his head in shame. Richards heart was almost beating out of his chest; he had never been more afraid in his life and had to control his urge to shake the boy for more information. He clenched his fists at his sides and spoke deeply, "What happened next James?"

James head remained lowered and he whispered brokenly, "I wanted what Daniel had, sweets and…and coins…lots of them. I had never seen so much before. He told me I was to get Miss Maura to follow him and then I was…was to follow Daniel's friend. He was a big ugly man with…with no hair and no teeth. I followed the ugly man with Miss Maura and we…we went into a stinky old building. It was dark and I went back outside. The skinny man he…he came out and gave me my sweets and coins and said I had did good. Then I went home. I swear Mr. Isles, mummy I didn't' know Miss Maura was with bad men, they…they were just farmers. I'm very sorry."

Richard sat back on his haunches in shock, his heart beat painfully and he placed a large hand over his chest and tried to breathe properly. They were all quiet at the depressing news until James spoke up quickly, "I…I can take you to the building if you like? I remember where it is." Mrs. Lewis gasped in shock, the officers stiffened and Garrett for the first time, spoke roughly to the boy in his impatience "Where boy! Where's the building?" James shrunk back in fright and Richard looked at Garrett sternly. "Sorry boy I'm not mad. I just miss Maura a lot you see and I want to find her. Please show me…us; please take us to the building."

James sniffled and looked at Garrett then Richard, "Okay. We need to go to the markets Miss Maura goes to."

"I know the ones," Richard stated. "Let's go."

Richard hoped beyond hope that Maura would somehow be in the building unhurt and safe, however his precious hopes were destroyed once James finally led them all to the building where Maura had been kidnapped. All that remained of her ever being there was her wicker basket and a broken glass vase, the one the elderly woman said Maura had brought from her. Richard sat down on an old dirty chair and stared to cry. His daughter had been kidnapped.

**J&M**

Maura sat quietly on her stiff cot listening to the creaks and groans of the ship, she had calmed down considerably and was no longer having a panic attack, but the effort it took to calm herself had been great and she was exhausted. She thought back to the conversation she and Frankie had been having as Jane had walked up behind them but the whole situation was not making any sense. She did not understand what she had said to make Jane react the way she had. Over the course of the week, she and Jane had barely said a handful of words to each other, and it had been Frankie to tell her that they were siblings Maura had not asked him. Jane did not know her at all, not in the slightest, yet she presumed that Maura was a greedy and unkind woman, two things that Maura was definitely not. However, what was most confusing was the idea that the captain thought she was somehow planning a way to destroy her and the other pirates, she had been planning no such thing; the thought had not even entered her mind. Just because she had been talking about Jane and her brothers did not mean she was storing information away to use against them. The idea was absurd; she was merely trying to learn about a completely different way of living to that of her own. And lastly Jane had hurt her physically when she had grabbed Maura and hauled her to her cabin; the strength of her grip was that intense Maura had begun to bruise, she had never been treated so viciously and unkind before, and it was a jarring shock to her senses, even to her self-worth. She struggled to shake off the fear of the situation and the fear Jane had instilled in her. She had been too scared by Jane's words and the fierce look in her eyes and the only conclusion she came to was that she had to stay quiet and not talk to Frankie or to Barry or anyone. She could not, did not want Jane to look at her that way again, nor say those words, or hurt her physically again, she would do all she could to avoid Jane's wrath and obey her. It made Maura cringe having to obey someone so horrible but the thought of the consequences if she didn't was much worse.

The sky was turning a dusky shade of night and Maura began to shiver so she tucked herself under her blanket as best she could, although it didn't do much to ward off the cold that came with each night. She had not had a wash in a week and she longed to be clean. However, more than the longing for cleanliness was the longing for home. She thought of home more now after Jane's anger and could not stop the despair that come crashing into her heart. She started wildly as the door swung open, thinking it was Jane, but it was cook. He dumped a plate overflowing with freshly cooked meat in front of her and some type of vegetable and Maura's salivary glands kicked in, she had never smelt something so good after what she had been eating. He put her black tea down and threw a blanket he had behind his back onto her cot. She was surprised by it but grateful. She said her thank you to his back as he left. Maura looked at the food almost savagely and took a steaming mouthful, it was hot and burnt her mouth but she did not care, it tasted wonderful and she had to force herself to eat it properly and not shove it all in at once. She didn't know what meat she was eating, weather dear or rabbit, because it was not pork but whichever it was, it was delicious. She cautiously tried the purplish vegetable that had been steamed and was surprised to find it mildly sweet and good to eat, even her tea had sugar in it and to Maura it was the best tea she had tasted. After her meal, she turned to look at the blanket, it was thicker and better quality, wool to be exact and she was just about to spread it over her cot when she had a sinking thought. What if this had been given to her from cook? Or alternatively, perhaps Frankie had asked cook to give her an extra blanket, if Jane found out, she would be enraged that her crew had gone behind her back to help Maura and in the end; she knew Jane would take it out on her.

_No, I cannot use this blanket. I will not. I must not anger the captain._

Maura picked up the folded wool blanket and sat it on top of the desk. She then lay down and covered herself with her thin blanket before looking longingly towards the thick wool one. However, the combination of sun, satisfying food and fear all took their toll on Maura and in no time, she was soundly asleep despite the cold and the jovial feasting that had begun lower below deck.


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter Eighteen**

Jane entered Maura's cabin long after midnight and scowled. It had been her intention to make sure she was using the extra blanket she had provided her so that the woman stayed in better condition. However, the woolen blanket sat on top the desk and Jane was hard pressed not to wake the deeply sleeping woman and ask her why she wasn't using it.

_Stubborn bloody lass! _

She strode over to the desk, picked up the blanket and threw it none too gently over the woman, but she did not move but merely uttered a soft sigh of contentment, which made Jane eye her suspiciously. Her blonde hair fanned over the pillow in waves, and her face was relaxed and soft looking. Jane's groin tightened and she swore softly before leaving Maura's cabin to her own much larger and more comfortable one. She was disgusted with herself that her body would react to someone such as that woman. Her captive was everything in a woman Jane despised, apart from the greed and pride, what Jane disliked most about woman like her was that they lied. They lied about everything, most importantly their feelings and their allegiances. No Jane had learned many a hard lesson, and it had taken her many years to learn them. Now she was older and wiser and would never again let her guard down.

**J&M**

Once again, Maura had been confined to her cabin below deck. She woke up the next morning well after cook had left breakfast, even he didn't disturb her slumber. Upon realizing someone had spread the woolen blanket over her she was confused and kicked it off frantically before standing, folding it and placing it back on top the desk, the thought of Jane's anger making her shiver. She ate her breakfast and soon realized that she wasn't going back up on desk, although it came as no great surprise. She had hoped fervently she would have been able to shower, she was itchy and smelt rather offensive but it didn't seem like a possibility but come late afternoon Jane barged into her cabin without knocking. Maura had been watching the ocean and the sky through her small window, and lept in fright when the door opened and crashed against the wall, she turned and froze in fear when she saw the tall captain watching her. Jane eyed the woolen blanket on top the desk and advanced on her with surprising speed.

_Oh, God she's found out I was using the blanket this is it surely, I have pushed her too far. _

Maura pushed herself back against the wall trying to melt into it and away from the woman who was glowering down at her.

"You will use that blanket, I will nay be havin' ye lose any more weight. Now follow me."

Maura blinked in confusion but could not move because Jane was pinning her against the cabin wall, she grabbed Maura's already sore arm in an attempt to make her move and she cried out.

"Please…please it hurts from yesterday."

Jane watched her then released her arm, "Then move".

Maura rubbed her arm gently and followed Jane up on deck but she was too wary and scared to enjoy her surroundings. Jane pointed at the screen and Maura obediently went behind it and started taking her dress off. She had barely gotten it off before Jane threw water over her and her breath came out in a hiss. Jane handed her the soap and she washed quickly as Jane continued to dump water over her, she was cold and her hands and feet were numb but she was finally clean. She dressed once again in a plain but clean dress and then stepped out from behind the screen.

"Go back t' yer cabin an' stay there." Maura hastily did what she was told and that was the last time she saw anyone except Barry and cook for the week. It was the same routine; cook would come to feed her and Barry for her toiletries. However, Maura became depressed and despondent as the week wore on. She stopped eating her two meals a day, it wasn't that she was doing it to anger the captain; she was just too depressed to bother. She began sleeping during the day or simply staring out the window. She stopped trying to talk to Barry and cried when she thought of the family she would never see again. Maura had only stopped eating on the last two days of the week, cook went grumbling and muttering to inform Jane, and she wouldn't have given a flying fuck if the captive weren't someone on which her continued wealth hinged but she was. She still hadn't planned how she would go about getting what she wanted but she was angry the woman was deliberately neglecting her health to make things more difficult for Jane. She had more important business to attend then babysitting a grown woman who should be able to take care of herself. As long as the weather held good they would be back at Jane's hideout, her island in two days, then she would be able to hand the woman over to Vince to look after. Jane muttered an obscenity to cook which he agreed on and went down to set things straight. She charged into the cabin and found the woman sound asleep during the middle of the day and Jane grabbed her shoulder and shook her.

"Wake up!"

Maura woke up to Jane's angry countenance standing over her and she sunk further into the bed.

_Please don't hurt me Jane!  
><em>Jane looked down upon the small, frightened woman; her eyes were wide with shock.

"Why be ye nay eating?"

It took Maura a few moments to register the question because of her sleep-addled brain but eventually she replied, "I'm…I'm not hungry."

"You will eat yer food whether yer hungry or nay, or do I need t' feed ye like th' child ye be?"

Maura's eyes flashed briefly with hurt and defiance before turning lifeless once more and Jane was easily able to read all of her emotions.

"No I will eat again." Maura watched Jane's dark chocolate eyes roam over her face before she stood up straighter and turned away leaving Maura alone, confused and upset.


	19. Chapter 19

**Chapter Nineteen**

Maura remained in her cabin for the next two days it took to sail to Jane's mountainous, tropical island. Jane sailed into the wide, deep cove that was the only entrance, which was heavily shielded on both sides by large mountains under the cover of early night and docked Spiritus against a wooden deck. The decking system was L shaped and had four short sections of deck branching off it, one was along the top of the L; the other three branched out along the bottom of the L. Jane and some of her men worked on situating the ramp between Spiritus and the dock before she stomped down and watched as Vince maneuvered Orpheus expertly alongside one of the short sections of deck at the bottom of the L. Some of the villagers and partners of the men came out holding fire torches to welcome them home, happy that their little community was now whole again, if only for a short while. There was laughing and general roughhousing and celebration between them all and Jane nodded and said her hellos while accepting light slaps on her shoulder but generally, she stayed aloof and watchful rather than joining in on the reunion. It was only a small village on the island, mostly wives, partners and children of the men, and a whorehouse full of Hispanic women however, there were a few white's too. Naturally, they catered to the men who didn't have women to come home to. Tommy immediately grabbed one of his favorite whores and they laughed together as they disappeared up through the village and out of sight.

As the celebrating moved onto the bar, a couple of the men grabbed some instruments and one of the whores began to sing a lively song. The drinks flowed freely and couples danced around on the bar deck, the whole bar was connected to the dock and had been built by Jane and her men out over the water. The celebrating, drinking and dancing would go on well into the early hours of the morning and Jane would make no move to stop her men from enjoying themselves, they had worked had the last five months and had earned this break. Of course, they would be expected to help her with the two ships and repairs that were needed on the island but mostly they were free to do as they wished. It was good to be home and Jane would have her own one on one celebration shortly, but for now, she needed to get the captive situated. She thought about grabbing Vince and Barry to help her but decided against it when she found them laughing together and drinking at the bar. She lit a lamp and boarded Spiritus alone finding the woman trying to see what was happening from her window, but from the way the ship was angled, all she could see were mountains from the entrance to the cove. Maura turned in panic when she heard her cabin door open, she knew it would be Jane coming to take her ashore and she trembled slightly out of fear as Jane came towards her in her small cabin.

"Come wi' me lass."

Maura wanted desperately to know where she was but wisely remained quiet, it would anger Jane to ask such a question, any question so it seemed. Jane turned and Maura followed in a half run half walk to keep up with the long sure strides of the captain. Once on deck Maura immediately stopped and scanned her surroundings trying to take in as much as she could through the darkness, which unfortunately wasn't much, but the whole island seemed very mountainous, of that she could make out, their shadows where enormous and black against the starry sky. The air smelt heavenly, it was heavy with the scent of thick lush foliage, coconuts, salt and other fragrances Maura could not decipher but it all smelt wonderful and she breathed it deep into her nostrils and exhaled slowly. She began to watch the celebrations at the bar because it was the only thing she could see clearly, until Jane cleared her throat and Maura jumped. She was waiting on the dock looking up at her fiercely and Maura made a small whimpering sound in the back of her throat before making her way down the plank to the dock on unsteady legs. She had been on Spiritus just over two weeks and was shocked to find the swaying and rolling motion of the ship remained with her even after she set foot on the dock, she was not used to it and found herself light headed. Jane on the other hand, this was her way of life and she did not appear to suffer the same affects Maura was currently experiencing. Jane didn't notice her unsteadiness; she began walking and expected the woman to follow obediently.

Maura did so and as they drew closer, she watched as she walked past the bar with a mixture of curiosity at the couples dancing and distaste at the already drunken pirates who were stumbling around stupidly. At the end of the dock Maura stepped into the soft white sand, it was cool and refreshing on her bare feet and she sunk into it deeply and it made odd squeaking sounds as she trudged up the short stint of beach where it became more of a hard path that Maura realized was the main walkway into a modest sized village. The buildings were roughly built out of timber and appeared rather old; each one had fire torches on the walls. As they went past a two-story building Maura's ears caught hold of odd grunting and moaning noises emanating from it, and discovered with shock and disgust that it was a whorehouse and she flushed furiously and hurried to follow Jane eager to be away from the detestable building and embarrassing noises that filled it. She kept her head down in embarrassment and missed the rest of the village before the path divided into two and Jane took the path that winded left up through a forest path of thick ferns, palms and a multitude of topical flowering plants. Maura could not make out much from Jane's lamp alone, but the thick smell of pollen and flowers was enough to clue her in to the sizable amount that must be growing throughout the village. The sound of all the crickets chirping was immense; Maura had never heard quite so many of them before and was somewhat in awe of the symphony they created together. Jane remained a quiet sturdy presence in front of her as the path rose gradually towards a set of old stone stairs. She gingerly made her way up in the darkness and gasped in surprise at the lovely white one-story house that sat further up the slope, torches anchored to the walls burned brightly around a veranda made of white stonewall and thick stone railing.

"It's beautiful," She said breathlessly before releasing she had spoken aloud. She glanced warily at Jane expecting her anger but instead Jane too was looking at the house with an expression Maura had never seen on her face before. She had apparently let her guard down and before Maura realized what she was doing, she was studying the pirate openly. Most of the harshness and anger had melted from her features and instead Maura gauged this new emotion was most likely pride. Perhaps the house was hers and she was proud of it? If Maura had thought Jane was a beautiful woman when fiercely angry, she was breathtaking now. Her whole appearance had softened yet remained handsomely strong at the same time and Maura knew at that moment she had never seen or been around a woman such as this pirate standing before her. This was a side she had yet to see and she found herself wondering how many sides the woman had. When she became aware she was examining the tall lanky pirate openly, she glanced away hurriedly before Jane noticed. A twig snapped in the forest and Maura started and swung around to face a lovely young Hispanic woman. She released a shaky breath then simultaneously sucked in another as Jane strode closer to her.

"Maria," Jane spoke gruffly yet not unkindly.

"Captain Jane. You're home." The young woman's voice was soft and wistful.

"Aye lass how be ye?"

"Well, I am well. And you?" Maura noticed Maria's eyes were roaming all over the pirate yet she could not understand why, there was a palatable tension between the two women, Maura could sense it and was very confused as to what was going on. Jane's voice was different when she spoke to Maria, it was not a voice filled with anger.

"I be fine." Maura watched as they stared at each other for a few moments before Maria blushed under her deep tan and looked away from Jane, it was then Jane seemed to realize where she was and that Maura was next her and her face hardened in anger once more.

"Maria please take the lass t' th' cottage an' make sure she be well taken care o'."

Maria looked momentarily sad before she masked it, "Yes Captain Jane." Maria turned to Maura and looked at her fully for the first time, she had hardly noticed the woman standing beside her strong pirate, but now Maria was filled with jealously at the sight of the beautiful honey haired woman who stood meekly beside Jane. As she had feared, Jane had brought back another captive. She knew it was ridiculous to be jealous of this woman, she was a captive and Jane was never intimately involved with her captives, yet the thought of any other woman being around Jane brought out her jealousy nonetheless. Jane was hers. The captain nodded at Maria and turned towards the lovely house and Maura watched her stride off towards it and concluded it was indeed hers. Maria cleared her throat loudly and Maura turned from watching Jane to find a set of annoyed brown eyes on her. She stared back at a complete loss what to do when Maria turned and started walking along the path, "Follow me." She did not sound angry and Maura was relieved so began to follow Maria whom she noticed was about the same height as her own. The path wound through the front gardens and past a beautifully intricate fountain that stood proudly in the center of the grounds and as they neared the side of the house, the path narrowed and took a steep incline and Maura struggled up behind Maria. The sway and roll momentum of the ship was still with her and she felt as though she were going to tumble over backwards down the path. Thankfully, she made it up to the top without falling back down and in front of her was a beautiful little white washed cottage. Flowering vines grew up the sides and hung down low from the small patio roof above the front door, releasing a slight vanilla aroma that Maura liked instantly. Maria took a large brass key from a fold in her plain dress and opened the creaky door.

"Please come inside," She spoke quietly in her heavily accented voice and Maura followed her into the tiny cottage. There were no separate rooms and Maura glanced around the already lit interior and took in a large comfortable double bed situated under a double window and a lovely wooden chest of drawers that sat along the far wall beside the bed. Against the back wall, there was an ornate desk and chair, and closest to the door an impressively large claw foot bath, which was porcelain white with solid gold feet. It was filled to the brim with hot water and steam rose off the water in thick, curly waves. Maura stood with her mouth agape.

_I must certainly be dreaming. Surely, this can't be where I am to stay? _

The cottage may have been small but it was clean, tidy and beautiful and Maura was genuinely shocked when Maria announced this was indeed, where she was staying.

"What is your name?"

"Maura."

"In those drawers you should be able to find something your size suitable to wear after your bath. I will bring you breakfast tomorrow morning. Goodnight Maura."  
>And that was that. Maura managed a quick thank you before Maria shut the door and left her once again, alone. Maria made her way eagerly down the steep path on slim legs and practically ran onto Jane's veranda before she took stock of herself and slowed to a more reasonable pace. She walked around the front and quietly slipped in through the French doors into the gloomy dining room. Directly to the left of the dining room was a solid timber door and she walked over to it knocking softly shivering when she heard Jane's gruff, "Come in." She opened the door and shut it quickly before turning towards Jane. She stood across the room with her back to Maria, her large hands above her head, resting against the fireplace mantle and she appeared to be gazing down into the flames. Her back was broad and strong and Maria tingled all over in anticipation.<p>

"Jane?" Jane's head rose and her hands left the mantle as she turned to face Maria. Maria gasped as she saw Jane's cotton shirt hung open revealing a slither of her hard abdominal muscles. Maria wanted desperately to touch her pirate and when she looked to Jane's face and saw the lust that swirled in her dark eyes she nearly went insane. Jane stalked towards her and Maria had the good sense to be slightly frightened before Jane's mouth came crashing down on hers in hot need. Maria moaned and opened her mouth to her demanding pirate and let Jane pick her up effortlessly and deposit her on her enormous bed. Jane's heavy weight settled on top of her and she growled into Maria's ear, "It be a long night lass, ye better be prepared. Ye won`t be walkin' properly any time soon." Then she covered Maria's mouth with her own once more.


	20. Chapter 20

**Chapter Twenty**

Maura did not quite know what to do with herself, she looked around the room and blinked a few times expecting to wake up in the tiny cabin on board Spiritus. However, upon blinking furiously and no such thing happening Maura was stumped. She looked at the heavenly bath that sat in the corner and couldn't resist its charms any longer. She glanced quickly at the windows around the cottage and was immensely grateful they had curtains and quickly went around the room closing them before stepping over towards the bath. She smiled idiotically at the water before taking off her plain dress and leaving it in a heap of the floor not giving the slightest thought to it wrinkling. Lifting a slim leg, she cautiously stuck her toes in the water, it was wonderfully hot and she stepped into it fully and moaned unabashedly as she sunk down, the bathtub was that deep the water reached just below her chin.

_Oh heavens above this amazing!_

She lent back against the side, stretched her legs out, and let out a small chuckle.

_This is unbelievable. Out of all the places I thought I would potentially end up this definitely was not one._

Maura closed her eyes and let the hot water sink deep into her bones. She was in a drowsy state of bliss when she decided to reach for the soap on the side of the tub and begin washing herself thoroughly from head to toe. The water was slowly turning cool yet she couldn't bring herself to get out and remained relaxing awhile longer until it was becoming uncomfortably cold and she hopped out spilling water all over the wooden floorboards but there was nothing she could do about it. Not finding a towel anywhere in sight she tiptoed towards the drawers leaving puddles as she went. The third draw down was filled with towels and she pulled one out and dried her hair and body vigorously. She felt fabulous until she remembered she was the prisoner of a dangerous pirate on an island in the middle of the ocean and her calm mood evaporated instantly. She rustled through the remaining draws until she found a white cotton gown that went from her neck to the floorboards. Blowing out the two lamps on top the drawers she was pitched into darkness and quickly hoped into the bed and buried herself under the covers. She rolled onto her side and listened to the crickets chirp and the distant sound of waves crashing against cliffs and she had never felt more isolated and lonely her whole life. Her depressed mood from aboard Spiritus returned and her loneliness tugged painfully at her heart. A restless sleep claimed her when she finally stopped crying.

_What is to become of me?_

**J&M**

She awoke reasonably early the next morning when the air was still and fresh. Tired from her lack of decent sleep she stretched languidly. Being in a bed and in Maura's sleep addled state she just assumed she was at home in her father's townhouse, but when she looked around the room, she was confused until everything came back to her and she remembered last night. She lay back down, massaged her temples gently, and debated whether to get up and go outside or to stay and wait for Maria to come with her breakfast. The beautiful young woman had not said she was not allowed outside, nor either had Jane for that matter. She was very wary of angering Jane but perhaps at this earlier hour she would still be asleep? Maura's strong curiously won over and she told herself she would just stay close to the cottage and not go wondering too far. Besides she did not want to stay in here all day depressed and alone with her thoughts, she needed some type of distraction, and was desperate for a little exercise. With a small plan for the morning and something to distract her attention, Maura felt slightly better and climbed out of the soft bed. She went through the drawers, straightening up the mess she had made last night before settling on a plain cream dress that looked like it would fit her and cover her breasts comfortably. When she had succeeded in getting the dress on, she found it was a near perfect fit and was pleased. The only thing she didn't have was neither something to tie her long waves back nor a brush to put through them.

She sighed and went around opening the curtains catching quick glances through each window before she cautiously tried the door and was relieved to find it unlocked. She had thought perhaps Maria had locked the door on her way out last night but it was not so and she peeked her head out the door and her mouth fell open in surprise. She eagerly went outside, shut the door, and walked under the vines that hung low from the patio roof and unbeknownst to her a handful of tiny delicate flowers fell into her hair as she brushed under them. The steep path she had walked up last night put her up higher then she expected and she was able to look down over the captain's house. The roof was made of small dark grey tiles, two large stone chimneys rose out the roof closest to her and a bell tower sat atop the roof behind the two chimneys. The air was cool and a light covering of fog hung eerily over the island. Maura was not sure what to look at first so much caught her attention, the grass was wet with dew, numerous trees thick with foliage grew everywhere she looked, and large mountains rose off in the distance behind Jane's house, which were covered in deep foliage, trees and palms. The sounds of life in the jungle were amazing. Maura heard all types of birds calling out loudly, softly, sweetly or harshly and she had no clue what species they were but everything else was still apart from the bird calls, hoots and shrieks of what Maura assumed must be some type of monkey. She was not disappointed however as she heard a shriek close above her head and turned her wide eyes up into the foliage of a tree to find a small, skinny black monkey dancing rapidly through the branches.

Her eyes and smile lit up as she watched the little creature stop and rustle up some berries that hung precariously on the end of a branch. He sat and ate contentedly until he saw Maura and squeaked in surprise before rushing in a blur of black fur out of Maura's sight. She giggled at its antics and turned to walk around the back of the cottage and what she saw stole her breath away. Her little cottage was sitting soundly on the edge of a cliff covered in wildflowers that overlooked the cove. Maura's mouth hung wide open and she made no attempt to close it, she had never seen anything so spectacular in all her life. She walked through the cover of dewy wildflowers stirring up small moths and butterflies until she stood close to the edge of the cliff. She did not dare go any closer to the edge and look over, the drop would be long and Maura's stomach lurched at the thought. If she looked straight ahead, she was able to see out the mountainous horseshoe shaped cove to the vast expanse of wild ocean beyond. The sun was a gigantic ball of light low on the horizon and if she turned right or left, she was able to see over the mountains and out into the never-ending ocean.

She saw no other vessels, islands or signs of human life, just flocks of birds flying high over the ranges. There wasn't a cloud in the ice blue sky, she felt alone on this island paradise and felt its wild appeal begin to take hold of her until she was startled out of her trance by another monkey hooting loudly close by. She tried to find it but the foliage was too dense and she gave up and looked away to her left to continue her exploration with her hazel eyes. From this side she was able to look back down onto the village. Spiritus and the other ship sat peacefully at anchor and peeking through all the trees tops, she saw the ramshackle buildings. A few had smoke dwindling out of chimneys but for the most part the village was quiet. Maura could just make out a few small specs walking around but couldn't make out if they were men or woman, she shouldn't have been surprised there weren't many pirates or villagers up and around, their celebrating last night had looked quite wild and Maura assumed most of them would have painful hangovers.

_Perhaps Jane has a hangover as well? She must have gone down to celebrate last night with them all too. I hope so; I do not want to see the beastly woman._

The sun was rising higher and drying the dew and Maura was contemplating whether to sit on the ground for a while and take in more of her surroundings or make her way down the steep path into the gardens when she heard Maria calling for her in the cottage.

_Well I guess that settles it._

She walked back to the cottage and more little flowers trickled into her hair as she walked inside. Maria had been watching her progress from one of the windows and turned to regard her solemnly. Maura was afraid she had angered the woman and she would tell Jane and started blurting out what had happened in a panic, "I'm sorry I just wanted to see what the island was like, I meant no harm. I wasn't trying to escape or go any further then the cliff, I'm sorry please don't tell Jane." Maura was fearful and looked to Maria pleadingly and her thick brown eyebrow rose slightly.

"It's okay; there is no way off this island except for the ship." She stared at Maura a while appearing to take stock of her and Maura felt uncomfortable under the young woman's gaze, she didn't know what Maria was thinking of her.

"You appear to be a smart woman, well smarter than others who have been here before you." Maura blanched, "Others?"

"Yes, you are not the only woman Captain Jane has kidnapped. If it were up to me, I would have none of it. But it isn't up to me."

Maura did not know what to make of Marias last statement, it didn't make any sense and she merely stood waiting for her to say something else. Marias appearance softened at Maura's discomfort, "I will give you some advice, obey Jane but stay out of her way if you can. Don't make this time difficult for yourself and the whole process will be a lot easier for you." Maura nodded meekly and remained silent to let Marias words sink in and take hold. It was good advice, her words made sense, and she felt thankful to the woman for trying to help her.

"Thank you." She spoke quietly.

Maria nodded and pointed to her breakfast on the desk, "Your breakfast will go cold."

Maura was delighted at the breakfast fair that had been set on the desk, two pieces of toast with two eggs, a glass of juice and a bowl of various fruits. She sat down and was about to dig in when Maria spoke, "If you want more just let me know."

"No this is great, thank you."  
>Maria nodded once more, "You will stay here in the cottage and I will come back later to speak with you." Maura felt disheartened she did not want to be in here when there was so much beauty outside but perhaps she would be able to explore more later. She nodded and watched as Maria walked towards the door rather stiffly. She appeared to be limping slightly and Maura's doctors instincts kicked in.<p>

"You're limping. Are you hurt?"

Maria swung back towards her frustrated Maura had seen her discomfort. She had to lie.

"Yes I'm fine. It's just my monthly courses."

Maura nodded in understanding.

"I am a doctor; if you need help I am here."

This strange woman took Maria aback; she was a prisoner on this island and did not know Maria yet was kind enough to offer her help. Maria didn't know what to make of it when Maura had stated she was a doctor, she did not think that was actually true but nodded nonetheless.

"Thank you." She left quickly and Maura tucked into her delicious breakfast. Her large appetite had hardly been appeased over the weeks and now she moaned at the taste of berries, pineapples, rock melon, coconut and apple juice. The eggs were fresh and the toast crisp. Maura finished and went to stand by the window near the door to await Marias return.


	21. Chapter 21

**Chapter Twenty-One**

Jane awoke nearly two hours after Maura and stretched soundly. Last night's activities came to the forefront of her mind and she grunted satisfactorily. Maria was no longer in her bed but her taste and smell remained with Jane and she felt herself heat up. Grabbing a fist full of blanket, she threw it off her naked body and got out of bed. Her clothes lay discarded around the floor and she left them there as she strode gloriously naked and strong into her en suite. She pumped the handle on the old water pump forcefully until it began to splutter and water gushed out into the bathtub. Maria had left two large cast iron buckets boiling on the fire and another two already heated beside it in the dining room. Jane went to fetch them, her impressive biceps bulging as she took them to empty into her bathtub. The bath was steaming and full by the time she had finished and she took a cigar from a box in her room and lit it before stepping into it and plonking down. Water splashed over the sides and she lent back and took a deep inhale of her cigar before blowing smoke rings high into the air.

"God this be fuckin' good."

She took another drag from her cigar and thought about Maria. Jane had found her a year ago on her travels throughout the Caribbean. Her crew and her had anchored off one of the small village islands and had gone ashore with the intentions to trade with the locals and have a good stiff drink. Jane had been sitting at the bar when Maria had come up beside her, boldly sitting right next to her. Jane had glanced over her in appreciation of her beauty, saw the willingness and lust in her young eyes, and knew the woman was keen for sex. Wordlessly Jane had gotten up and looked over her shoulder at Maria and she followed Jane back to Spiritus. No one else was aboard, Jane took Maria into her luxurious cabin, pushed her onto her bed, and they'd had sex repeatedly until Maria was too sore to walk and fell asleep exhausted. When Maria had woken, Jane was long gone from the cabin and Maria dressed and went to find her staring moodily out over the ocean. She had learned very early on Jane was a woman of few words but that did not bother her at first. She had quietly asked Jane to take her away with her, that there was nothing here on this island for her and Jane had glanced at her for long moments before simply nodding and walking away to round up her crew. Maria had sailed back with Jane and her crew to Jane's island Hermes Isle and had been living there ever since.

Jane put her cigar down and grabbed her soap, dunked her head of messy curls and set about roughly and quickly cleaning herself. She left the soap in the tub and resumed her smoking. They had a relationship based purely on sexual gratification, Maria was there for her when she came back from her travels and Jane knew how to please Maria. That was all Jane was after. She knew every which way to please Maria physically but Maria was not permitted to do the same for Jane. It had been a very long time since Jane had let another woman touch her anywhere intimately. She was the one to take control in every sexual encounter, she would dominate her partner and give freely and copiously to them but when they tried to return the favor Jane would push them away roughly and later on satisfy herself with her own hands. Sex was not an emotional activity for Jane, it had been before, but that seemed a lifetime ago. Jane had sex with women merely to satisfy her need to touch and pleasure them and to be in control of them, to dominate them completely she felt no bond; no connection to the woman she bedded and it was the same for them. However, she did suspect Maria felt a little more for her, she was becoming increasingly frustrated when Jane blocked her attempts to touch her anywhere intimately. Truth be told she was beginning to tire of Maria. She was growing angry at the woman's neediness and her pouting fests when she wasn't able to have her way. But Jane was not one to be controlled in any situation, least of all sex. If Maria did not like that then she was free to leave Jane's bed, she would not try to stop her. She had seen the way Maria had looked at the captive the night before, pure jealousy was plastered across her face and Jane had been disgusted by the petty emotion. She did not belong to Maria. She belonged to no one, least of all the prisoner. Jane did not believe in jealousy, it was a useless emotion; there was no need for it.

She stood up and got out of the bathtub as soapy water ran down the hard planes and angles of her tall body. She dried and dressed in fresh clothes quickly and her mind switched gears to her new captive as she shoved her black leather boots on. She strode into her large kitchen behind the dining room and set about preparing herself a sizable breakfast, she was famished from last night. Jane was going to get Vince, Barry and Frankie together for a meeting to decide what to do with the captive before she got her men together, hung over or not to get a start on repairing and fixing up Orpheus.

**J&M**

Jane, Vince, Barry and Frankie all sat around a large wooden table on Jane's back veranda sipping hot black coffee. All three of them where clean, fed and ready to help Jane in her decision about Maura, as Jane's decision would ultimately affect all of them. It was mid-morning and the day was already starting to warm up nicely. Jane felt relaxed and placed her long strong legs up on the table, crossing them at the ankles. The men were relaxed in the same posture as Jane, minus the boots on the table, no one but Jane put her boots on her table.

"'Tis good t' be home men," She stated in a laid-back tone.

"Yes 'tis." They all agreed unanimously.

"How be yer buxom beauty an' kids Barry?"

"They be all well, th' boys be havin' grown a lot."

"Aye I shall be havin' t' catch up wi' them."

Barry nodded in agreement before they got down to the business at hand.

"Okay ye be all aware o' th' captive I be havin' wi' me an' th' sizable amount o' wealth both th' lass' an' her father be havin'. They be rich, and she be th' richest lass we be havin' ever kidnapped. Th' decision I will make be nay a light one men, so I would like yer opinions as t' what ye think I ortin' ta do?"

They were all quiet for some time as they considered what their captain had said and Jane watched them leisurely with her hands behind her head. Vince was first to speak up and he stroked his freshly trimmed beard thoughtfully, "I think 't would look good fer us if we be t' keep this lass Maura in good condition. She needs t' be fed well an' clean an' healthy so she dasn't catch any illness or disease. When th' time comes fer ransom, if th' lass' father be seein' she be well looked after he be more grateful t' us." Jane nodded seriously and waited for Barry and Frankie's opinions. Frankie spoke up next.

"I spoke t' th' lass' a wee bit aboard Spiritus," He ignored his sister's dark glare as he spoke, "And she seems rather smart. Maybe if she has some books t' read, or some paintin' or whatere 'tis ladies uh do, then 't could help her stay healthy, ye know like in her head?"

Barry and Vince tried unsuccessfully to hide their mirth at Frankie's choice of words and he glared at them frostily, "Shut up ye two," This only made them chuckle more. Jane however was not so happy. She was angry her brother had tried to engage with her prisoner, but us much as it pained her to admit, her brother did have a point. Instead of telling him this she glared daggers at them all instead.

"Enough th' lot o' ye. Barry what do ye say?"

Barry smiled at an annoyed Frankie before he spoke up, "It jus' so happens I agree wi' ye Frankie e'en if ye canna speak properly, I think she be smart an' will get bored easily. Maybe one o' us can escort th' lass' around th' village an' on walks. If she looked after 't be much in our favor."

"How long be we goin' t' keep th' lass' here on Hermes? I need some time t' plan how t' approach th' lass' father wi' how much we want an' get 't before we give th' lass back."

Again, Vince spoke up, "I think th' longer we keep th' lass' th' better. Her father an' whoereis in her family will think she be gone fer good. 'T will only make them more desperate t' get th' lass' back any way they can once they know she be alive an' well."

Frankie and Barry were in agreement with what Vince said and Jane lent back further and pondered what had been said so far.

"Frankie, Barry I need yer help o'er th' months fixin' up Orpheus an' careenin' both o' them. I dasn't trust Tommy t' keep his dick in his britches around th' lass, an' none o' me men either fer that matter. Vince, that leaves ye t' help th' lass do god knows whatever woman like her do, wi' in reason o' course. I won`t be havin' her takin' o'er th' whole island."

"Aye I can do that Jane."

"Good. Give her some books an' writin' paper, escort her around th' village an' beach but that`s 't. If she wants t' do anythin' else ye need t' come an' ask me. An' nay one an' I mean nay one tells th' lass' anythin' about us, anythin' she can use against us. Ye be nay t' trust her."

Jane did not want the woman around for months but she had to agree what Vince had said, in the end, it would benefit her and her men. She wanted nothing to do with the woman unless absolutely necessary and she was confident Vince along with Maria would be able to look after her until the time came to sail her back to Boston. But unfortunately, for now she would remain on the island for a couple of months at least. Jane was going to be careful and smart about this and take her time to choose the best moment to return the woman; she was not going to blow the opportunity to become considerably wealthier than she currently was. She stood up and began to pace back and forth along the veranda in long strides. The men watched her back and forth a few times before Barry piped up, "So she be here a couple o' months?"

Jane turned to him and stopped pacing, "Aye 't looks as tho she will. 'T seems th' smartest move an' we all agree on 't, even if I dislike th' woman."

They all shared a chuckle and Jane glared at them, "What?"  
>"'Tis obvious ye dasn't like th' lass." Barry laughed.<p>

"Have I liked any o' th' lasses we be havin' kidnapped?" She glared at all of them.

"That be true Jane but ye seem t' dislike this lass th' most." Barry quipped.

"Well thar`s a first time fer everything." She growled at Barry before walking back to the table and sitting back down.

"She has a fiance, man by th' name o' Garrett Fairfield. He be considerably wealthier then th' both o' them but 'tisn`t wise t' go after th' lad as well. He be much more powerful an' I dasn't want t' risk 't right now; nay when everythin' be goin' smoothly, we stick t' th' Isles family only. This be all right wi' ye all?"

Vince replied to Jane seriously, "Whatereyou say basically goes Jane, we will follow yer lead, right men?" He glanced pointedly at both Barry and Frankie and they nodded their confirmations.

Jane sculled the rest of her warm coffee before making to stand up, "Thank ye. Is thar anythin' else ye knuckle heads would like t' say before I haul yer arses t' work?"

They laughed and finished their coffees before rising also.

"Vince th' lass be up at th' cottage but before ye go thar go an' find Maria an' let her know ye be lookin' after th' prisoner until night. Barry, Frankie yer comin' wi' me t' round up all me hung o'er bastards t' start work."


	22. Chapter 22

**Chapter Twenty-Two**

Vince strolled casually back up the path towards Jane's house because he was too paunchy to do anything more strenuous. Sweat ran from his grey hairline and collected in his bandana, the day was warm and humid. He had just finished speaking with Maria, and while Vince was generally quite clueless when it came to women, he could sense in Marias tone that she wasn't happy with Jane having another woman around even if she was a captive and Jane never got involved with them. Vince just shook his head as he walked along towards the side of the house, women made no sense, well women apart from Jane. He had yet to meet Maura properly, he had only seen her from afar on board Orpheus, and he was not expecting her to be any different to the other rich women they had taken over their years together.

He got to the start of the steep narrow path and looked up with dismay.

_Now comes th' hard part. Damn I wish I be nay so fat._

Taking a few large breaths Vince struggled and sweated his way up the path to the front door of the cottage red cheeked and puffing. He got himself collected and knocked briskly on the door and his mouth fell open slightly in surprise when Maura opened the door.

_Well now, she be a right pretty lass. I can be seein' why Maria be jealous, Jane would be havin' t' be blind an' stupid nay t' notice this one's beauty._

"Hello I be Vince. I be t' be lookin' after ye as ye go around th' village an' such."

He could see the woman was wary and a little frightened of him, and could not blame her, they must all come across as savages compared to what she was used to.

"Hello, I'm Maura."

"Well Maura, Jane as asked me t' get ye some books, papers an' such, if that be somethin' ye would like?" Vince watched as her lovely hazel eyes widened in surprise and excitement even though she was still wary of him.

"Oh yes…yes I would like that, thank you." She blurted quickly.

_She be as frighten' as a tit mouse, obviously Jane an' Tommy be havin' done a nice job o' scarin' her._

This however was nothing unusual, those two always scared the captives half to death, but what Vince picked up immediately that was different was the woman's manners. She was frightened yes but she did not stick her nose up at him, didn't try to convey her superiority over him by being aloof or pretentious, and she had said thank you. He wondered briefly if the others had noticed it and decided they all would have besides Jane and Tommy, they only saw themselves.

"Well if ye want t' come wi' me an' grab some books from Jane's library? Although I didna ask her if ye bein' in thar be okay."

"I will wait then, I don't want to anger her."  
>Vince chuckled, "You learn smartly. But she be nay thar, she be down th' beach, what she dasn't know won`t hurt her".<p>

"But what if she comes back?"

"She will jus' be havin' t' deal wi' 't. She did say ye could be havin' some books, so that`s we be doin', gettin' ye books."

The woman still looked unsure so he decided he would go and grab her some himself, "Or I could jus' go an' get some myself, I be some time tho, fer a pirate Jane reads a hell o' a lot o' books, she has too many t' count."

He could see this had piqued her interest and thought maybe she would come along after all even though it had not been his intention.

"I guess I will come along then, if she said I could have books to read."

"Aye that she did. Come on, follow me."

**J&M**

Maura and Vince stood on the veranda outside of Jane's house. Maura was still unsure about this whole idea and her hands fidgeted in the folds of her dress, which was odd for her because she never fidgeted. She somehow just knew that Jane would have a problem with her being in her library, in her house for that matter but when Vince had mentioned that Jane had many books she had not been able to resist such temptation. Even more surprising than being able to borrow books was the fact that the vicious pirate read them and found interest in them. Maura did not know pirates could read. However, as she stood outside Jane's house she admitted to herself she was actually interested to know what type of books the pirate read. The man whom stood next to her had been another surprise as well, a good one, so far he seemed rather cheery and friendly, well as much as she expected a pirate could be. She was still wary of him, and would be for some time, but she was going to take Marias advice not only with Jane but with all of them.

"Come on lass, in through these doors."

Maura tried not to peak through the large floor to ceiling windows on each side of a lovely set of white French doors she walked though. However, she did peak once inside and gasped in disbelief, she was standing at the entrance to a generous, impeccable dining room; it was beautiful, absolutely beautiful.

The floorboards were light in color and polished to a high shine. To the right of her was a small lounge area where two ornate cream and green stripped lounge chairs sat alongside single chairs of the same coloring, a deep burgundy rug sat in the middle of the setting. Behind the setting stood two solid white pillars wide apart, a fashionable statement that lead to another large set of French doors and a room Maura could not see. Directly in front of her, a long wide rug that matched the color of the other took up a sizable amount of floor space and an elegant fourteen-seat dining table sat in the middle of it, the chairs where high backed and of the same cream and green pattern as the lounges. At the end of the dining table, two more pillars and another large set of French doors lead to the kitchen. To the right of those doors sat a dark coffee table, desk and chair. To Maura's left were two more pillars and a short alcove to a big wooden door. Along the left wall was another two lounges facing each other, a large chest beside one and two potted palms. Maura noticed there were quite a few potted palms scattered around the large room, as well as impressive landscape paintings. The walls had a white wooden boarder around the bottom quarter and the rest was light green wallpaper checked with a black diamond pattern. Black sconces adorned each pillar and two simple black chandeliers hung above the dining table. The whole room was very open and impeccably styled.

_My eyes must be playing tricks on me, surely, Jane does not live here, it cannot be true. This house is gorgeous._

She turned to Vince and stuttered in complete shock, "This is where Jane lives? Surely you jest?"

Vince laughed genuinely and slapped a stumpy leg, "No jokin', this be Jane's house."  
>"But, but it's…," She waved her hand around the dining room for emphasis, "Stunning, and she…she's".<p>

"A pirate?"

"Yes, a pirate."  
>"Aye well thar be a lot ye dasn't about us pirates o' fortune, a lot indeed. Come, I will take ye t' her library."<p>

Maura followed Vince through the dining room in silent awe. She was quickly coming to realize there was a lot about pirates she did not know, or perhaps there was just a lot she did not know about one pirate in particular, Jane. She was not sure which it was and it confused and troubled her. Maura had not expected a murderous pirate to live like this, to have her own island, to be honest she thought all pirates lived either on ships or in buildings like those in the village. To be standing here in this house proved that what Maura knew about pirates was not all accurate.

Towards the end of the dining room to the left, yet another set of pillars drew them towards a set of open French doors and Maura followed Vince through them into Jane's library, the same designs flowed through into her library except the lounge setting in the middle of the room was a deep burgundy. A large stone fireplace took dominance of the room on the far wall boarded by window seats each side and floor to ceiling windows. Along the back wall was an impressively solid, dark desk and high backed chair. The room held warmth, even a certain masculinity but what excited Maura the most was the whole wall of bookshelves on the wall closest to her, it was magnificent. She could not help herself; she turned towards it and admired the hundreds of books stacked along the bookshelves, there was not a hint of dust in sight, not on the books, not in the room itself. On impulse, Maura lifted her hand and ran her fingers gently over some of the books, noticing the excellent condition they were in. She promptly forgot Vince was in the library with her she was that absorbed in the beautiful collection. Even her father didn't have as many books in his study, and at the thought of her father Maura's heart squeezed in pain, he too would be suitably impressed with this sizable collection of books. In an effort to put thoughts of her father aside she began delicately sliding a book out here and there to read the titles. Naturally enough there were many books about navigation, the ocean, and ships but there were others on hunting, languages, biographies, literacy and numeracy, dictionaries, and even an encyclopedia collection. These were just a handful of what Maura found on the shelves and she was suitably inspired to read as many as she could and learn about new subjects. With a gleeful smile, she pulled out a random book, walked over to Jane's large desk, and sunk down in the oversized chair. There was the unmistakable scent of sandalwood and cigars infused into the material, two smells that Maura was beginning to associate with the pirate. Careful not to damage the book she opened it to find out what she had picked to read, but Vince clearing his throat interrupted her. Maura jumped in surprise and looked guiltily at Vince who was sitting on one of the lounges.

"Oh God, I'm sorry. I just got so excited by the books; I didn't mean to be rude."

"I dasn't mind jus' dasn't let Jane be seein' ye in that chair, oh boy ye will surely know about it."

Maura shot out of the chair in record speed terrified the pirate would walk in and see her in the chair.

"Grab some o' th' books that yer fancy an then ' I will take ye through th' village." Maura hastily grabbed a few books without even looking at what they were before she followed Vince out of the house, she was afraid Jane would suddenly appear and be furious with her.

She followed him down the front stairs and through the front garden, studying the lovely fountain that turned out to be a nude yet modestly covered woman in the center of the yard, she was holding a broken ceramic pot and water poured freely into the pond bellow. It was barmy weather and Maura felt a slight sheen of sweat break out on her skin as she walked beside Vince back down the path she had taken the night before, the forests beyond the path were thick and heavy with various plants and flowers and she was able to study them more now that it was daytime. Vince did not seem to be bothered by her slow pace; in fact, Maura thought he seemed contented, she noticed a small smile on his weathered face. Many of the buildings along the way had thatched roofs of hay, and ropes hung between each roof for washing. Maura watched in fascination as a young black woman scrubbed an item of clothing vigorously in an iron tub, beat it over a fence paling a few times before rinsing it in clean water and hanging it on a rope. She noticed most houses needed new coats of paint but overall the village was tidy and well taken care of, again something she had not expected. Small flocks of chickens clucked and squawked past her pecking at the ground and squabbling with each other and a scraggy brown dog barked at her from a house porch before ignoring her and going back to sleep. Women and men began to stare at her the further they went along the path turning to go back down towards the beach and Maura was beginning to feel uncomfortable, the men eyed her in appreciation but the women, they stared at her suspiciously, some with jealousy, others with trepidation. She was an outsider and unwelcome here and it made her very nervous. She was about to ask Vince if he could walk her back to the cottage when a little girl perhaps seven or eight years of age came bounding up to her and tugged on her dress. Maura glanced down nervously at the girl with brown curly hair and blue eyes. She was tall and lanky, with a big smile, a plain dirt stained dress on, and Maura thought she looked adorable.

"Hello, my names Abby, what's yours?"

Maura smiled kindly, "Maura."

"You are a pretty lady Maura, here take this." Abby pulled a big red hibiscus flower from behind her back and handed it to Maura before giggling and running away to join her friends behind a tree. They all giggled together and ran away out into the fields. Maura looked at the flower in her hands and a single tear slipped from her eye, the kind gesture would mean more than Abby would ever realize. Holding Jane's books tightly against her chest, Maura slipped the flower into her hair and turned towards Vince to find him studying her, twisting his mustache thoughtfully.

"Did I do something wrong?"  
>"No lass." Vince kept walking down the path and Maura followed him quietly, they walked down past the whorehouse and Maura could not bring herself to look at the building, instead she watched the villagers go about their daily business. They reached the small beach at the dock, she was able to make out the wider stretch of it to her right, and she stood close to Vince and took in the beauty of the cove from close up. A multitude of long skinny palms trees framed the cove between the sand and grass like a living wall, their trunks brimming with coconuts. The water was crystal clear and even from a distance Maura could see schools of fish swimming under the dock.<p>

"Hey get ou' th' way lass can't ye be seein' we be busy?" Maura looked up to see two pirates on the dock holding an old table and knew she was in their way, so she hastily moved and they grumbled and muttered as they walked past her down the beach. In fact, most of Jane's crew was busy on the docks taking things from the larger ship.

"What are they doing?"  
>"They be strippin' th' ship clear. Then they will repair 't from th' inside ou', captains orders. Everythin' Jane dasn't want be burn`t further down th' beach."<p>

"But why is she stripping your ship?" Maura had seen Vince steering it.

"Oh nay 't ain`t me ship, 'tis Jane's. She got 't...well I canna be tellin' ye how she got 't, but she wants 't lookin' like new."

Maura glanced around the dock and the beach for the woman in question but could not see her, it occurred to Maura that Jane and her crew had probably stolen the ship and murdered those on board, and she shivered and glanced around at the pirates dispassionately. She didn't think she could ever understand how people could kill each other over possessions or wealth; it made no sense to even her smart, complex mind.

"Would it be okay if I sat on the beach and read for a while?" Vince had started chatting with some men but upon hearing her request, he turned and nodded before continuing his conversation.

Maura walked down to the water, it was cold and refreshing on her feet and she suddenly wished she could go swimming. Nevertheless, she walked a distance, past the burn pile the pirates were piling up and found a nice shady spot to sit on a log under a cluster of palm trees. She perched atop the log and opened one of the leather bound books from Jane's library, although to her surprise and excitement, it was not a book per se but simply a picture book. She flipped carefully through a few pictures admiring the beauty of an ocean, or clean lines of a ship until she saw a small name at the bottom of one. Upon closer inspection, she was astounded to see the word Jane at the bottom, these were not pictures of paintings they were Jane's sketches. Maura was speechless, it was meticulous, brilliant work done at the hands of someone so dangerous. she quickly leafed through a few more works and gasped at an exquisite set of hands drawn in pencil, there were pages and pages of different body parts displayed and Maura studied each a long while. Next came paintings and sketches of animals, leopards, monkeys, sharks, even rabbits and cats, they were all different but what each had in common was the attention and careful devotion to detail. Maura was in awe of the work and again she found a tear slip down her cheek. She had no idea why she was crying, perhaps because the works were so beautiful, or they had been done by someone Maura would never have pictured doing them, or maybe a little of both. She suddenly felt tremendously guilty to have stumbled so easily upon such a private part of the captain, a part she never would have thought existed, she shouldn't be looking at something so intimate without Jane knowing, even if it left Maura reeling and confused. She ever so gently traced the whiskers of a leopard sketch and felt rather than saw someone come to stand before her and intuitively she pulled the book closer to her, not wishing anyone else to see it before looking up to see the person who had done them staring fiercely down at her.


	23. Chapter 23

**Chapter Twenty-****Three**

Jane had been busy most the day below deck in Orpheus. She had taken her time and gone through each cabin, and then into the storage, it stunk to high heaven throughout the ship and Jane and most of her men had gone through each section grimacing and muttering obscenities every chance they got. Jane ordered the storage and hull to be unloaded first and they all set to work stripping it bare. All the booty the previous pirates were not able to handle now belonged to Jane and they spent the whole morning simply removing their spoils, which included ten large sacks of fine quality sugar from Cuba, twenty large bags of dried tobacco leaves and fifteen bags of cotton from Florida, and a good amount of dry clean gunpowder. There were also three bags of cocoa, twenty bolts of mixed colored cloth, fifteen cases of whiskey and five big barrels of ale. All the weapons, coin and various other treasures had already been taken but Jane was well pleased with what was left behind. She had logged each item in her logbook as it had been removed and would later on categorize where each item went, weather traded or given to the women for use on Hermes. Next, they set about striping everything from the ship, Jane would tell them what was to be kept and what was to be burnt from each room or cabin and then they would all get to work removing it. It was strenuous, hard work and they sweated liberally as they went back and forth under the hot sun. There was not much worth keeping besides maps, paper, some tables and chairs, unused blankets and cooking utensils and they were about a quarter of the way through when Jane decided on a quick break for the men to eat and drink and hollered through the hull to get their attention. She wiped the sweat off her brow and impatiently pushed her damp curls back off her forehead before going above deck. The wind hit her heated, sweaty skin and cooled her down some as she let the others on the beach know it was time for a break, to which they were grateful. Tommy, Frankie and Barry came up behind her and they were even sweatier and dirtier than Jane was.

"Damn this fresh air be good." Barry said in between taking deep breaths of sea air.

"Ain`t that th' fuckin' truth! Smells like goddamn shit down thar. Charles men be dirty bastards!" Tommy growled before spitting on the deck. Jane wiped her forearm over her forehead to remove more sweat and glanced at Barry sarcastically, "This comin' from me own laddie who eats an' sleeps in his own shit." Barry and Frankie roared laughter and Tommy punched Jane in the arm, "Do nay ye lily livered bitch."

"Well 't goddamn well smells like ye do most th' time Tommy. I'm surprised ye get any ye smell so bad." Barry and Frankie's laughter continued and Jane gave them a wicked grin. Tommy was fuming, "Yeah well I'm surprised ye get any lasses, ye dasn't e'en be havin' a dick ye ill-tempered dyke!" Barry and Frankie abruptly shut up, Tommy had gone too far and they waited for Jane to lay into him but she merely stared hard at him a few moments before bursting into a deep throated laugh. Even Tommy had not been expecting this and stared dumbly at her.

"Oh god Tommy ye be a dumb bastard. Ye dasn't need nay dick t' please a lass, an' I'll bet ye any amount I can do 't better than ye e'en on me worst day wee brother."

Barry and Frankie howled laughter once more and Jane gave Tommy a smug grin before climbing over the port side and down the ladder to the dock. It was a rare occurrence for Jane and Tommy to stir each other, but when it did happen, she knew he enjoyed it as much as she did even if one of them was riled up. Jane went to the bar and grabbed ale to wash away the dryness in her throat; she had most of it down in three large gulps when she noticed Vince from the corner of her eye. He was standing on the beach talking to a couple of the older men from the village around his age and Jane hastily finished her ale and strode off the dock up to Vince, unapologetically interrupting the conversation.

"Where`s th' lass Vince? In th' cottage I hope." Vince started and turned to Jane.

"We went an' got some o' yer books an' I brought her down here. She asked me if she could read on th' beach, she be jus' down thar..." Vince waved to where he had last seen Maura some time ago but she was no longer there…, "a wee while ago." He finished lamely. Jane was beyond furious, she had thought Vince would have kept a closer eye on the woman, yet it was the first day and she was already nowhere in sight.

"Goddamn 't Vince, what be th' matter wi' ye?" She snarled viciously before striding away along the beach, "Wait, I will help ye find her!" Vince shouted at her broad back and she roared at him not even bothering to turn around, "I think ye be havin' helped enough fer one day damn you!"

Jane stomped along the beach for nearly ten minutes before she caught sight of the woman sitting on a log under the shade of some palm trees.

_Bloody lass thinks this be a fuckin' holiday! I'll give her a fuckin' holiday!_

Jane fumed as she strode up the beach onto the grass and looked down upon the woman. Then she noticed what the woman had in her hands, what she tried to hide and Jane was livid, her fists and jaw clenched painfully as she waited for the woman to look up at her. When she did and saw who it was her face turned a ghostly shade of white and she physically shrunk away from Jane's anger as much as she could, she looked like a small, frightened child under Jane's harsh glare.

"What th' hell be ye doin' wi' that?" Jane hissed icily and watched as the woman arched back further over the log, trying to escape. Jane waited for a reply but when none was forthcoming from the terrified woman Jane's anger only increased, "Are ye deaf lass or jus' plain rude?" Jane watched Maura like a hawk as tears began to fall from her big hazel eyes yet she still remained silent. She was scared mute by fear and Jane was all the more angry, she wanted an explanation as to why the ignorant, snoopy woman had the nerve to go through something of hers that was so private, something no one else except her had ever seen. She was having a hard time controlling her rage and her hands clenched convulsively by her sides.

"I aught t' whip th' skin off yer back." She barked making the woman flinch and gasp at her words. Instead, Jane snatched her book off the woman's lap and closed it with a slap, "Stand up."

Maura's eyes were wide with fear and she trembled as she stood up on shaky legs, then as quick as lightening Jane grabbed her wrist and pulled Maura savagely into her chest so she was forced to look up. Their faces where so close Jane could see where the brown in Maura's eyes blended into green, take in the delicate freckles scattered over her nose and cheeks and the soft downy hair on the sides of her face and forehead and Jane's grip only tightened more around Maura's wrist making her whimper in pain.

_Goddamn't lass why be ye so beautiful?_

Seconds past as Jane's greedy eyes roamed over Maura's face before she whispered darkly, "Don`t ye ever touch this here book again, do ye hear me?" Maura nodded vigorously, Jane let go of her wrist, and she stumbled back in fear.

"Come wi' me before I change me mind an' whip ye raw."

She was furious the woman had walked away so far, even more furious she had Jane's private sketchbook and most furious with herself for finding the blasted woman attractive. She was about to walk away when a small frightened voice stopped her in her tracks.

"Your works are wonderful."

Jane spun back to Maura furiously, "What did ye jus' say t' me?" Maura tilted her chin up slightly and looked at Jane even though she was frightened, "I said your work is wonderful, stun…stunning in fact. You are a wonderful artist. I didn't mean to take something so personal of yours, I thought it was just a book, I'm sorry."

Maura watched Jane for a moment searching for some emotion other than cold hard anger, not finding any she bowed her head, collected the rest of Jane's books and quietly walked past her, back towards the dock leaving a furious, confused and for the first time in a long time, shocked Jane standing under a group of coconut palms.

**J&M**

Maura had not bothered to go back to Vince; instead, she took a shortcut through the forest once she was out of Jane's sight, she walked as quickly as her shaky legs would allow and made it through the forest scrub and out onto the path not far from Jane's house and made her way back up to the cottage, sweating lightly by the time she closed the door. She placed Jane's books on the desk and sat on the bed. She held her hands in front of her noting how they trembled. She was very quiet but her mind would not shut down. She sucked in a quivering breath and began to cry and could not quite comprehend what had happened back at the beach, she felt as though she was in a state of shock. All she kept seeing in her mind was Jane's savage countenance directed squarely at her. She felt the ache in her wrist where Jane had hurt her physically yet again and her tears continued to fall; Maura had no idea what she had done to make the pirate dislike her so much, she had disliked her from the first day. Maura tried to reason with herself that Jane was a pirate, she most likely disliked everyone, but her reasoning failed to satisfy, apparently, there was something she had done. The pirate disliked her and Maura knew of no valid, feasible reason why, Jane was deceptively complex; Maura was unable to connect the savage person she had just witnessed with someone who could create such delicate, indescribable artwork. She struggled to believe it, yet she knew it was Jane's work; her name was on each piece, and she had confirmed it was hers by her violent reaction.

Maura hiccuped through her tears and having nothing else to use lifted the corner of her dress and wiped them away. She took a few deep breaths and lay down atop the covers feeling emotionally exhausted after being the object of Jane's fury. But what was worrying Maura the most, what she did not want to acknowledge or put a name too was the strangely pleasant sensation she had experienced when Jane's face was close to her own, her brown eyes were deep and penetrating and the way they had roamed over her face briefly had left her feeling scared yet somehow excited. Her hot breath had fanned over Maura's nose and mouth and it made her shiver involuntarily just thinking about it now.

_Stop it Maura it was probably just a reaction borne from fear, stop over analyzing, you are only making yourself feel worse!_

She shook her head to clear her thoughts, rolled over onto her side and slowly drifted off into an uneasy afternoon nap.


	24. Chapter 24

**Chapter Twenty-Four**

Maura sat in the thick grass atop the cliff behind the cottage, it was early dawn and she shivered in the still cool air. Resting her chin on her knees, arms curling around her nightgown clad legs she stared out into the cove. She had come and sat here every morning for the last week since the incident with Jane on the beach, she found the still early atmosphere comforting and peaceful. Maura had not been further then the cottage and the cliff side for the entire week, fearful of another undesired encounter with Jane. Vince had come by every morning asking if she wished to walk throughout the village or grab more books but she had quietly and politely refused him each time. Maria had come twice a day with meals and cleaned the cottage when Maura was outside but only polite thank yous or good mornings had been exchanged. Maura lay awake late most nights thinking of ways to escape from the island before falling into restless sleep in which she would most often than not dream about escaping as well. She was tired and wary as she sat and watched a flock of sea gulls glide lazily through the breeze. Maura longed more than anything for home sure she was on a wonderfully beautiful island, in a lovely cottage with most of the creature comforts of home but what was lacking were the most important aspects of life. Love, friendship, support, trust and laughter to name a few, these things she lacked here and she wanted them back. She desired more than anything to be home with her father, Garrett and the girls; she even missed some of her patients, there was not a day or night that went past that she did not think of those she loved. She wondered if Emily and Dafney were taking care of Melany and if Trudy was taking care of them all. It had been three weeks since that day at the markets. If only she had stayed home with Trudy and the girls that day instead of leaving the house, she had no real need to go, she had only wanted to. Perhaps she would not be here now; perhaps the men that had kidnapped her would have kidnapped someone else? Maura had mulled over the whole scenario the last couple of days and had yet to come to a solid conclusion that suited her. What if her family thought she was dead? What if they never even tried to look for her?

She was all alone here on this island even though people surrounded her. During the day, she had sat atop the cliff and watched the small specks that were pirates walk back and forth up the beach adding rubbish to the burn pile. That had stopped a couple of days ago yet the rubbish remained. Maura gazed down to the pile in question and wondered why they were waiting to light it and she jumped in alarm as she heard Vince clear his throat.

_Oh, no I am in my nightgown! Already this day is off to a bad start!_

"I'm sorry lass I didna know ye would be in yer night uh...things."

He turned back around quickly.

"You didn't know it's okay." Maura stood awkwardly silently thankful Vince had turned his back.

"I will wait here while ye get fixed up."

Maura looked to where Vince was standing with his back to her and suddenly she was giggling, he heard her and went to turn his head but remembered her state of dress and remained as he was, fidgeting nervously and rocking on the balls of his feet.

"What has ye laughin' lass?" He sounded confused.

Maura barely held in her giggles as she replied, "I just think it's sweet that someone like you is being polite and embarrassed about my state of dress."

"Someone like me?" Maura heard his questioning tone and sobered.

"Yes a…a pirate."  
>He remained silent awhile and Maura knew she had said the wrong thing, yet again; it was just what she did.<p>

"Someone like me thinks someone like ye dasn't know much about pirates like us." He continued quietly, seriously and he had Maura's full attention, "We aren`t all th' same as each other. Nay all o' us be bad Maura. I know ye don't agree wi' me seein' ye ben kidnapped by us an' Jane be as wild as they come an' yer scared o' her, but e'en a person like her has morals. Where nay all heartless like 't seems like ye ben led t' b'lieve."

Maura stood staring at Vince's back, tears blurring her eyes, she cocked her head to the side and one slipped down her cheek, she had not expected a reply like that or his sincerity. She felt guilty for thinking he was only capable of being the pirate stereotype portrayed in books, or what she had been told by others and not an actual human being. Jane on the other hand was someone she could not think of right now, the woman had been nothing but savage towards her and Maura didn't want to redeem Jane in her mind by thinking of her as a person who had a moral compass or a heart. Perhaps it was unfair and selfish of her, but she could not let go of the hurt she had experienced so far at the hands of the dangerous pirate.

"I'm sorry Vince you're right, I don't know you, and you have not done anything wrong by me."

"Oh that be nay true I'm sorry I let ye wonder off an' suffer Jane's anger las' week, I ortin' ta be havin' kept a better eye on you."

"That was not your fault. It was my own, I knew better than to wonder off without you."

Vince heard the sadness in Maura's voice decided it was time to end the conversation.

"I be sorry none th' less lass. Come, go get changed, I be havin' someone who wants t' meet you."

"Who?"

"You will be seein' soon enough. They won`t bite."

"They?"

"My god ye ask a lot o' questions," Vince chuckled, "Hurry or they will get impatient."

Maura hurried to the cottage to change, she was smiling and excited for the first time in a week and some of the gloominess began to leave her.

Vince stood outside and took in the specular view as he thought about the woman in the cottage behind him. He knew she was frightened to leave the cottage and knew it was Jane's doing, he could only figure the pirate must have frightened or threatened Maura something fierce on the beach a week ago, and he still felt guilty about it. If he had only kept a closer eye on the woman she would not have wondered off and been the brunt of Jane's anger. However, it had happened and there was not anything he could do now except keep a better eye on her. He did not know why he felt so guilty, but suspected it had something to do with the surprising fact that he was beginning to like the woman. He had watched her that day a week ago, seen her genuine excitement over Jane's books and he had been given an apology when she sat in Jane's desk chair. Mostly he had taken note of her interaction with Abby, Barry's eldest daughter. A woman of wealth such as Maura should be disgusted and horrified by a place like this, by villagers so lowly in status and dirty little girls in ripped dresses, God knew he had seen his fair share of Jane's captives balk, snub, glare, pout and act like spoiled rotten bitches to everyone on the island, but not Maura. Any other rich entitled woman would have looked distastefully upon Abby and ignored her gift but Maura had taken it with a gentle smile and even cried. She had seen Abby, the person, not her dirty body, messy hair or plain clothing. It had deeply surprised Vince. Of course, Maura was disgusted by the whorehouse and the pirate's actions and violence, such things would put off any morally sound human being, but Vince did not hold that against her. No, there was something about Maura that was different; she seemed genuinely innocent and kind. Vince had wondered whether any of the others had noticed but decided against asking them. There had been no change in Jane, perhaps she was a little more quiet than normal, but she was still her usual angry, fierce self. She had asked occasionally for updates about Maura and when Vince had told her each time, she remained only in the cottage or on the cliff Jane had merely grunted noncommittally and walked away.

Vince shrugged his shoulders and kicked a small rock off the cliff. There had been a time when he knew Jane had a moral compass and had been a good person but for years now, he was not so sure. He had hoped that somewhere deep inside of her that goodness remained and that in time he could chip away at her anger and bitterness and reveal who she used to be. But that Jane seemed like a distant memory, a ghost from the past, and he had actually felt like he was lying to Maura by telling her Jane had morals and wasn't all bad, because he was genuinely doubting it was so or would ever be again.

**J&M**

After quite a bit of assurance and gentle prodding from Vince, Maura was walking alongside him down the steep path towards Jane's house, but it felt like Deja-vu and she stiffened when she saw the direction Vince was taking. He kept walking but noticed after a while she was not following and turned around to look back at her questionably.

"Are ye comin' or nay lass?"

"I don't want to go back in Jane's house."  
>"We aren`t goin' in thar, come on follow me, 'tis okay."<p>

Maura hesitated briefly before catching up to Vince. Instead of going up onto the veranda, Vince led her around the back of the house and as she got closer, she could make out squeals and shrieks of laughter and excitement. She was puzzled, having no clue what was going on until they rounded the corner and she spied a handful of young children splashing each other and jumping into a wide creek that flowed behind Jane's house, the back gardens where much more untrained and grew lush and wild around the paths. A large wooden water wheel rotated slowly further on down the narrow end of the creek and Maura watched one of the children standing near it get absolutely saturated by all the water spraying out of it. The skinny dark haired girl was laughing with glee and Maura found herself smiling at the girl's silly antics. Maura counted five children including the familiar looking girl playing at the wheel and wondered why Vince had brought her here but before she could ask him, he answered the question for her.

"Abby," He pointed to the girl at the water wheel, "Wanted t' be seein' ye again. She be a friendly girl. I did nay think ye would mind me bringin' ye here." Vince shrugged his shoulders and spat on the ground and Maura tried hard not to grimace, she had not been brought up that way and didn't understand why someone had to spit on the ground, it was odd behavior. She turned her head toward the children as Vince spat again.

"I thought I recognized the girl. I don't mind that you brought me here, I just, well I am not very good with people…or children, even animals really." Maura realized she was babbling and glanced sheepishly at Vince, he didn't seem bothered.

"That`s okay, the'r jus' kids, they dasn't care if ye aren`t good wi' words."  
>"Maura!"<p>

Abby had seen Maura from the waterwheel and came barreling over to her eyes alight with happiness and mischief.

"Maura, Abby be Barry`s little lass."

"His…his daughter?"  
>"Aye, his daughter."<p>

"And those," Abby pointed with small finger towards two boys in some mud by the creek, "Are my two younger, silly brother's Thomas and Liam." They had Barry's dark hair and coloring and looked to be about five or six, "They are twins." Abby announced proudly. Maura did not know what to say, she did not know Barry was a father and it surprised her greatly.

"Mr. Vince said you were a quiet lady sometimes, but that's okay, we won't mind," She pointed at the others by way of explanation.

"Would you like to help me catch tadpoles? My brothers are too slow and clumsy and Jessie and Leah well they don't like the mud."

Maura assumed Jessie and Leah were the other two girls who were swimming and laughing in the deeper part of the creek.

She turned quickly to Vince, "Oh they are all so young," Before turning to look down at Abby, "You must all be very good swimmers to be left here alone for so long." Abby laughed up at Maura and she noticed a tooth missing from the top of Abby's mouth.

"No silly Maura…" that is all Abby had spoken before a deep familiar rumble finished off where Abby had begun, "They be nay alone at all lass." Maura stiffened at Jane's deep voice and began to tremble in fright.

_Why do we keep running into each other, oh God please do not hurt me again!_

Jane was altogether too close behind Maura, she could feel the heat rising off Jane's body and she stepped closer to Vince and looked up at him accusingly.

_Why did you bring me here when she is here too! Why! _

"Miss Maura are you okay? You look scared."

Abby was looking worriedly up at Maura and in her young innocent way did not realize Jane was the source of Maura's discomfort, she only wanted to make the pretty woman happy again and not scared. "It's okay Miss Maura, captain Jane has been looking after us, we aren't here alone."

Maura felt nauseous, and covered her mouth with her hand. She hadn't turned around to acknowledge Jane but she felt her strong presence behind her and that was more than Maura could handle.

"Come here squirt," Jane spoke closely behind her and she shivered before Abby squealed and ran past Maura, leaping at Jane's tall strong torso and Jane chuckled deeply in her throat.

"Are ye ready t' fly?"

"Oh no Jane…nooo, please!" Abby screamed and Maura turned in astonishment thinking Jane was hurting Abby but to her relief yet utter consternation, Jane had Abby up over her head, one broad hand on her stomach so that she was balancing as if she was flying. She screamed and laughed in delight as Jane casually sauntered over to the creek and launched Abby flying into the deep water. She hit it with a dive and came up spluttering and laughing wildly. Then the game was on, all the children came bounding up to Jane begging her to make them fly. At this point Maura's mouth was hanging wide open and she stood dumbly in the middle of the path watching the remarkable scene.

"Come an' sit down Maura." Vince spoke from behind her and she glanced cautiously at him before going to sit beside him on the veranda steps she was still upset and wary of him that he had not told her Jane was here. However, Jane was not paying Maura the slightest attention, or so Maura believed. But she had no way of knowing that Jane was becoming just as aware of Maura's presence as she was of Jane's. Another of the girls screamed and Maura regarded the way Jane's strong arm held her up with minimal effort, her shirtsleeves were rolled up just past her elbows and all the muscle and sinew in her forearm fascinated Maura. The girl shouted as Jane threw her into the creek and Jane picked up one of Barry's boys next.

"Oh gosh surely she won't…he's too little!" She squeaked at Vince, her hands clasped around his bicep.

But Jane surely did, the little boy went further than the girls did and it seemed to Maura he was underwater for a dangerous amount of time before his little head popped to the surface and Maura let out a breath of relief. He swam quite well, dog paddling and giggling back to the bank.

"All th' children can swim very well. They be havin' t' learn young, got nay choice, we be surrounded by water."

That made perfect sense to Maura now that Vince explained it, but what made no sense to her at all was Jane. She was serious and solemn when she played with the children, but occasionally Maura would catch the corner of her lip curl up in the hint of a smile. How could someone so harsh towards her be so laid back with these kids?  
>Abby ran over to Maura and grabbed her hand off Vince's arm, "Come on Maura, can you pleeease come and catch tadpoles with me now?" Maura looked to Vince for permission, she could not bring herself to look Jane in the eyes, she was afraid of what she would find there. Vince looked to Jane and Maura's eyes remained on Vince as he spoke up.<p>

"Aye lass that be fine, jus' stay close Abby, dasn't go wonderin' off wi' Maura now ye hear?"

"Yes Vince. Captain Jane will you come too?"

By that time, all the children wanted to catch tadpoles, even Jessie and Leah, simply because Maura and hopefully Jane would be joining them.

Vince spoke gently to Abby, "No Abby, ye an' Maura go along now."

Abby pouted at him and Maura released the breath she was holding.

"Vince I will go wi' them, go an' check on th' lads, make sure they aren`t destroyin' Orpheus." Maura and Vince's heads both shot up in surprise, Maura saw the anger glint in Jane's eyes, and her bottom lip quivered. She looked to Vince appealingly, "Are ye sure Jane? I dasn't mind stayin' here if ye want t' check on them yersef?" He knew what his answer would be, but he had to try for Maura, it was clear she was frightened of Jane, most people were.

Jane's jaw muscles bunched but she remained calm as she spoke, "Yes, I'm sure, now go." There was no more he could do, if he continued to question Jane she would lose control and Vince did not want that to happen. He looked to Maura and saw how frightened she was and whispered, "You`ll be okay, she won`t hurt ye around th' kids." Before standing up and walking away. Meanwhile the children had been jumping around happily oblivious to the situation.

"Abby go get a bucket quick, canna take them home in ye' hands now can ye?" Abby took off like lightening around the other side of the veranda and came back a few moments later with a tin pale.

"Okay ye rats, let`s go catch some tadpoles, follow me." Jane spoke gruffly before her dark gaze settled on Maura.

"Come lass." She said brusquely.

Maura did not want to obey her, did not want to go near her, she was angry she had to do what this woman asked of her when she was so vicious and intimidating. However, she stood and walked over to the children staying as far away from Jane as possible, she did not want Jane to be angry in front of them because of herself. Jane grunted and set off down the bank of the creek with the children in tow and Maura last, she remained quiet and took in her surroundings as they walked along the running creek, up past the wooden wheel and onto another path leading out of the back yard. It became even lusher and denser forest the more they walked away from the house and the sounds of wildlife intensified.

"Are we there yet?" Abby stated.

"Nope." Came Jane's reply.

Abby dropped back and took Maura's hand and Maura was actually grateful for the physical contact her little hand brought. The air was cooler in the forest and Maura shivered and felt Abby move closer to her as they walked. Eventually they came to the end of the creek, it was damp and cool as the sun was completely blocked out by foliage.

"This is our secret place Maura, do you like it?"

"Yes, its beautiful Abby." Maura honestly liked the place but simply could not relax, she felt Jane's eyes on her and it made her uncomfortable and warmer than she should be in the cold environment. She kept waiting to be shouted at. Abby let go of Maura's hand and jumped into the creek and the others followed her in, it was shallow and they were all able to walk around and help round up the tadpoles into the pale Abby held. Jane and Maura were left alone on the bank and in an effort to get away from Jane; she walked back up the bank and sat down in a soft patch of grass. Looking into the creek, she saw a multitude of tiny black blobs wriggling around and dipped her hand into the cool water to help shoo the tadpoles towards the children.

"Thank you nice lady," Liam said to her, he had bobbed along closer to her, his big hazel eyes smiling with happiness. He took charge of the group of tadpoles Maura had shooed towards him and kept them moving along over towards the pale. He only managed to chase a couple of slower ones into it; the others were too quick and simply swam away from the chubby boy. Abby, Jessie, Leah and Thomas cheered Liam anyway, they were happy with a couple of tadpoles and Maura joined in the cheering, it was lovely to see them so carefree and happy, to share in their innocence and Maura relaxed a little.

She cast a quick glance over at Jane, noting she too had sat down, one long arm hung casually over a bent knee. She remained quiet the entire time, just watching the children play and trying to catch tadpoles, occasionally she would give them some advice but for the most part was quiet. Maura was thankful Jane had not come near her or spoken to her, they had been at the creek nearing half an hour and she had become absorbed in watching the children play and wanted to join them. She quickly looked to Jane and was surprised to see that she was lying down on the grass with her eyes closed. Maura watched her chest rise and fall evenly a few moments before she decided Jane was asleep before lifting her dress up around her knees. She held her dress up with one hand and used the other to steady herself as she slipped carefully into the water. It was colder than she had expected and she sucked in a breath of surprise. Jessie and Leah noticed her first and laughed happily, "Oh look Miss Maura is in the creek!" Leah squeaked excitedly. Maura hadn't known if joining them was a good idea, if they would like it or not but as they all came laughing and crowding around her she thought she had made a good choice. She made sure the captain was still sleeping before she began to hunt for tadpoles. She had never done so before but she was desperate for human interaction without having to be wary. These children had accepted her freely and happily and after weeks of fear, tears and isolation Maura was happy to soak up their affection even if she did not quite know how to relate or speak to them. She didn't mind a bit of mud squished between her toes and up her legs if it meant having some fun.


	25. Chapter 25

**Chapter Twenty-Five**

Unbeknownst to Maura, Jane had been watching her the entire time through hooded lids. Before the woman had come around the side of her house with Vince Jane had been sitting on a stone bench under the shade of a tree watching the children play, she was well hidden by low hung foliage and hard to spot. Jane had sensed the woman was near and had taken her eyes from the children to find her standing on the bank with Vince. She watched as Abby spotted them and began to run over, and with mild frustration got up in order to save her from the snobby woman, women like her did not take kindly to poor children like Abby. So she had strode over quietly to protect Abby, and just as Jane had thought the woman hardly said a word to the child, she was stiff backed and when she did talk it was clipped and brusque. Jane remained calm even though she was angry on the inside and had quickly taken control of the situation when Abby wanted to catch tadpoles alone with the woman. Wealthy upper crust women like her did not mingle with people like them, Jane new well from experience. So it came as a mild surprise when they arrived at the creek and the woman went to help Liam and began to smile and laugh with them. Jane lay down and pretended to be asleep to see what else she would do, and grunted softly in surprise as the women looked over at her and seemed to study her briefly with caution before lifting her dress and slipping into the creek. Jane fought to be still when all she wanted to do was shout at the woman and ask her what in the hell she was playing at. She began helping the children chase tadpoles and laughing with them and occasionally she glanced Jane's way warily to make sure she was still asleep and then went back to playing. Jane was angry that the woman was going to such lengths pretending innocence in order to form allies whom she would use to benefit herself, as it appeared she had begun to do with Vince. Hell, she had even tried to charm Jane over last week by pretending to admire her paintings and sketchings, but Jane was not so easily fooled. She was still furious the woman had seen them; they were for her eyes only.

She opened her eyes properly and sat up, the woman noticed, and nearly fell backwards in fright and Jane frowned at her before standing up and brushing the grass from her muscled backside.

"Right ye drowned rats ou', ye be havin' enough tadpoles t' last th' year." They all whined but began to climb out; the woman was already at the bank and looking for a way to get out. Jane went to her and glared down at her with a strong hand outstretched, but what she wanted to do was watch her struggle and fall on her arse in the creek. She was staring up at Jane's hand in trepidation and didn't make any movement to close the gap or take her hand.

"Hurry up lass I ain`t waitin' forever," She grunted and the woman hastily slid her damp hand into Jane's larger one. It was soft and small and Jane's calloused, tanned one easily engulfed it as she hoisted the woman out of the water. Jane was about to let go when the woman tripped on a tree root and fell into her chest, Her hand landed on Jane's shoulder and she was that close her blonde hair tickled Jane's nose. Maura looked up in panic and alarm and Jane sucked in a quick breath at her beauty and their close proximity. Then she remembered who the woman was and where she was and shoved her off with a snarl. The woman righted herself quickly and smoothed her dress, ignoring Jane. Jane went over to Abby, lifted the pale of tadpoles from her, and then pulled her out of the creek too.

Maura kept quiet on the way back to the house she was too shaken up by the strange reaction her body had when Jane's large warm hand had taken her own and she had felt the strength in it as she had been lifted out of the water. Her body, her shoulder had been hard and warm when Maura had accidentally fallen against her. Maura was not only fearful when she looked up into the pirates deep brown eyes but once again, a strange sense of exhilaration had overcome her. Maura was lagging behind the others trying not to panic about the sensations that had shot through her, she had never experienced such a reaction to anyone before, and it worried her, she did not like that fact the woman's commanding presence controlled her so easily. As they neared the house, the children bolted onto the back veranda and Jane went up the steps and sat the pale in the shade.

"You wee snots remain here, I be back soon."

Jane turned her unforgiving stare towards Maura and she hung her head unable to bear such hard scrutiny. She turned away; started walking and Maura followed her quietly.

"Wait Miss Maura where are you going?" Abby ran down the steps and took Maura's hand.

"She be goin' back t' th' cottage now."

Abby looked up to Maura, "But I don't want you to go."

Maura began to panic; she did not want Jane to roar at them and gently pulled her hand free from Abby's.

"I have to go now Abby, I will see you another time."

Abby sighed and went back to the veranda and Maura's heart squeezed in pain, she didn't want to hurt the lovely girl. She heard Jane clear her throat roughly and began to follow her tall, broad shouldered form back to the cottage. Jane took the steep incline easily on long strong legs and Maura struggled up behind her, she was quiet the whole way and Maura was trying to prepare herself for the pirate's onslaught once they were at the top. Once again, she had done the wrong thing, although she did not know what the wrong thing was. She did not know how much longer she would be able to bear the woman's fury.

Jane was brooding moodily when the woman finally made it to the top of the incline noticing that she was sweating lightly under the hot sun. Jane took in her pink cheeks, damp hair stuck to her forehead and her stomach clenched making her curse under her breath. The woman stood with her head down and made no move to do anything and her pathetic act only infuriated Jane, she'd had enough. She took three quick strides and before she knew what she was doing had the woman pinned up against the cottage wall with her own body and she growled deep in her throat. Jane was livid the woman made her body react without reason just by being in her presence, she didn't like that she was so becoming so aware of the woman physically, it was unexpected and Jane had no idea what it was but it made her just as angry as the woman's phoniness.

"I dasn't know who ye think ye be foolin' but ye sure as hell dasn't fool me lass, I be seein' through yer act."

Maura was terrified; she had no idea what Jane was talking about. She could not think properly, Jane's tall, solid body was pressed into her softer one and the heat seeping into her from Jane's body was incredible. Maura couldn't move, she even though she wanted to, she was helplessly pinned against the rough wall my Jane's strength and all she could do was stare mutely up at her hard face, she was engulfed in the scent of sandalwood and Jane's perspiration and gasped as her stomach muscles clenched pleasurably.

_Oh, what on earth is happening to me? Please just leave me alone Jane._

"Please let me go, you're hurting me," She whispered in an effort to put some distance between them and Jane held fast a few more moments before letting her arm go and stepping back. Maura sucked in a steadying breath and tried to pull herself together, even though Jane's heat still lingered on her body. She could not look at the pirate so she spoke quietly to the grass, "I don't know what you mean by…by my act. What act?"

"You're doin' 't right now lass, pretendin' t' be innocent. I saw th' way ye played wi' Abby an' th' others, usin' them fer yer own benefit. Hell ye seem t' be havin' Vince wrapped around yer wee finger too. Who will 't be next huh? Your nothin' but a spoilt, entitled, rich bitch."

Maura was appalled because suddenly it all made sense, Jane disliked her because she thought she was a fake, that her behavior and the way she had acted kindly with the others was a farce. Apparently, Jane thought she had no substance or heart. Maura was beyond angry, Jane had absolutely no conceivable idea whom she was, yet she had the gall to think and say such horrible things? Did this woman really think she would use little children for own benefit, what benefit Maura did not actually know, but the idea was as ludicrous. Maura's jaw hardened and her hands clenched into fists by her sides, she had never met someone as infuriating as this woman standing before her, they had only been each others presence a handful of times over the past three weeks yet Maura had never disliked someone as intensely as she did Jane. Not even Doctor Pike came close and she had known the man for two years. Jane was a heartless beast; there was no doubt in Maura's mind.

"How dare you!" Maura sputtered out furiously and watched as Jane's eyes ignited in rage. She took a step forwards but Maura held her ground even though she was scared of the feral woman.

"What did ye say t' me?"

"You heard me, I said how dare you, how dare you accuse me of those things, or being those things!"

"Oh well lar de fuckin' dar, I did nay mean t' upset yer royal highness," Jane snarled and Maura's mouth fell open in shock and fury, "You're a monster!"

"Oh be I? Well if I'm a monster I guess 'tis okay if I do this." Jane practically spat before stalking over to Maura, grabbing the stunned woman and lifting her over her shoulder. Maura shrieked angrily and punched Jane's broad back but to no avail as Jane opened the cottage door, strode inside and dumped a fighting Maura heavily onto the bed.

"I will say this one more time on accoun' o' ye seem t' be too stupid t' understand. Ye be here t' obey me lass, an' if ye dasn't I won`t be fuckin' responsible fer me behavior if ye push me too far."

Maura lay sprawled on top the bed steaming in anger, the woman looking down on her was despicable and Maura didn't want to be anywhere near her. Knowing she was actually hurt by what the barbaric woman said only made her all the more angry, as she should not care what Jane thought of her.

They continued to glare at each other until it became clear to Jane the woman was not going to say anything more and she was in control of the situation.

"Good, ye be havin' finally shut yer mouth."

Maura turned her head away from Jane as a tear slipped down her cheek, her fight had left her, and she just wanted Jane to leave her alone.

"Please…please just go." She whispered quietly. Jane stood glaring at her for a few more moments before turning away and slamming the cottage door as she left.


	26. Chapter 26

**Chapter Twenty-Six**

The next day Vince strode up to the cottage to see how Maura was. Yesterday Jane had given him orders to leave the woman alone without telling him why and he was a little frustrated about it. However, today was a new day, he had yet to see Jane and she was not going to stop him checking on Maura, it was his main order anyway, to look after her and keep an eye on her around the village. It was still early morning but she was not sitting atop the cliff so Vince knocked lightly on the cottage door and announced himself. He heard a quiet, "Just a moment," and stood back to wait. When she opened the door a few moments later Vince checked her over briefly noting how tired and despondent she looked before saying good morning. Maura said a polite good morning back but Vince could tell she did not really believe it was a good morning. He wanted to apologize to her for whatever had taken place yesterday between her and the captain so he just came right out with it.

"I'm sorry fer what happened yesterday' lass. I knew Jane be thar I jus' did nay think ye would be left alone wi' her, she has one short an' nasty temper Jane does."

"Pardon my frankness Vince but why are you looking out for me, you don't even know me."

Vince took a step back from where Maura stood in the doorway and stroked his mustache thoughtfully.

"Well I be havin' me orders from th' captain t' look after ye an' take ye around th' village when ye wish. But ye seem like an' okay lass, maybe yer a wee different than other wealthy lasses. Ye seem genuine kind an' such."

He watched as Maura cocked her head to the side, she seemed confused and flustered.

"What`s th' matter lass?"

"You don't think I am faking who I am? I mean I know who I am and it should not matter what other people think of me, and usually it doesn't, but for some reason I don't understand why, it does this time. God I'm sorry I am babbling and you have no idea what I'm talking about, just forget I said anything."

"If 't makes any difference lass I dasn't think yer puttin' on an act. Who said ye 'ere anyway?"  
>"Jane."<p>

"Ahh…I see!"

"See what?"

"I wouldna put any stock in what Jane says, she ain`t too good wi' lasses an' words an' feelings an' all that muck. She be blunt an' t' th' point, says 't like 'tis, although this time I think she be wrong."

Maura remained silent.

"Come on lass, be ye up fer a walk? I won`t take ye near Jane, 't be arrite."

"Okay." She replied after some hesitation.

Vince turned around as spoke up, "And Vince. Uh thank you for being nice to me."

Vince just shrugged his shoulders and they set off down into the village. Unfortunately, the weather was beginning to turn overcast, the sky was turning grey and a chilly wind was beginning to form. Maura hugged herself as she walked; she did not want to stay out too long with the cool wind building.

"Looks like we could be gettin' some rain." Vince stated casually.

"The weather is different here, I mean wherever this island is, I have no clue where we are."

"I canna tell ye that."

"Oh I know, captains orders right?" Maura said quietly.

"Aye I'm afraid so lass."

Maura shrugged lightly and looked away. They reached the branch in the path that led them down to the beach and for the first time she noticed that the path continued straight ahead up into the forest, it didn't just turn to go to Jane's house.

"What's up that way?" She pointed up into the forest.

"Rest o' th' island, rivers, mountains, forest. 'Tis Jane an' th' crews huntin' ground, go off fer days at a time huntin' fer th' village."

"What type of animals live here?"  
>"Monkeys, crocodiles, dear, rabbits, wild pigs, jaguars, ocelots are some."<p>

"Oh my there is a lot, more than I thought there would be."  
>"Aye 't ain`t safe t' go off in thar by yersef, e'en us men dasn't go in thar alone."<p>

Maura turned in a slow circle simply observing everyone in the village. No one besides Vince spoke to her, Maura guessed they were used to seeing strangers like her from time to time but after the initial observation, they just ignored her as if she was not even there. Maura felt like it was almost taboo for anyone to speak with her and she was used to being ostracized, yet that did not make it any less lonely at times. There were woman working out in the fields to the right of the path behind the buildings and Maura walked between two of them until she was overlooking the large fields. Beyond them herds of cows, sheep and goats grazed in long lush grass. The whole area was bordered off by the same mountains that continued out into the water that made up one side of the cove wall. The island was wild and primitive to a degree and it made Maura feel inconsequential.

"This island is without a doubt beautiful," She spoke reverently, "How long has you lived here?"

"Quite a long time now lass, more than I can reckon, but aye 'tis a bonny place."

"Bonny?"

"Aye, beautiful."

Maura looked up at the sky, it was all grey and gloomy now, but the rain seemed to be holding off for the moment, "Would you mind if we walked through the fields?"

"Lead th' way." Maura smiled gratefully at Vince before making her way into the fields. Women were walking through row after row of dirt mounds dropping tiny seeds. Maura noted with fascination that after every couple of rows, a different type of seed was dropped out and she was excited to know what they were planting. Without thinking she walked up to the first woman she was closest to, "Excuse me what are you all planting?"

The dark woman glanced at her sharply, eying Maura with brown eyes suspiciously.

"I'm sorry I didn't mean to be rude, what you are doing is just interesting to …." She trailed off as she realized the young woman was still eying her dubiously and made no move to say anything. Maura tried a different tact.

"What is your name? I'm Maura."

The woman ignored her still, Maura deflated on a sigh, and Vince stepped in to take over.

"'Tis okay Anna. Maura this be Anna, Barry's wife."  
>"Oh your children are beautiful Anna," Anna relaxed some but was still wary, "You have seen my children?"<p>

"Yes Abby gave me a flower and I helped your boy Liam catch tadpoles."  
>Anna studied Maura openly, looking her up and down gravely and Maura grew nervous and uncomfortable.<p>

_Darn it I must have said something wrong she does not like me!_

"You must be the nice lady Abby was telling me about. You're the prisoner."

"Yes…well I guess I am."

"Why a rich woman like you interested in what poor women like us do."

Maura was upset and baffled, she was only trying to find out what they were doing, because she was genuinely fascinated, but she had to admit they came from two very different worlds and Anna was right in a way, someone with her wealth and stature should not be interested in what a bunch of pirates wives were doing. However, Maura was, she felt more comfortable and at home around people who weren't rich and wealthy given a few exceptions. But Anna didn't know that. Maura did not know what to say but knew she had to say something, she wanted these women to know she was kind and not stuck up, that it did not matter to her weather they were poor.

"I don't mean to offend you, I know a lady of my uh…breeding should not be interested in such things, but I am, I enjoy learning. Would it be okay if you showed me what you were planting?" She tried to convey as much kindness and warmth as she could towards Anna who just glanced at Vince in confusion. Vince merely shrugged his shoulders and held up his hands as if to say he had no idea why someone like Maura would be interested in planting and harvesting, to them it was extremely unusual. Anna looked back to Maura who was glancing hopefully between the two and shrugged her shoulders as well.

"I guess I could show you a little."

Maura clapped her hands and smiled brilliantly and Anna and Vince shared another glance, but Vince was smiling also. Before Anna got a chance to tell Maura what her and the other women where planting, Maura in all her social awkwardness launched a million questions at Anna about Barry and their children like she and Anna had been friends for years and it was the most natural thing in the world to ask about each others families. One of Anna's dark, slim eyebrows rose, "You are certainly nosy."

"I'm sorry, I usually say the wrong things, please what are these you're planting now?" Maura gushed in embarrassment and pointed to the row Anna was spreading seeds in.

"These are pumpkin seeds. The other women are planting potatoes, turnips, parsnips, carrots, cabbage, celery, radish, tomatoes and onions."

"There are so many, I would like to help you, can I help you please?"

"Anna would ye mind? She be harmless." Vince chimed in.

Anna glanced warily at Maura and nodded, she handed Maura some pumpkin seeds and Maura smiled warmly at her, "Thank you."

Maura and Vince ended up spending a good couple of hours in the fields with Anna. Anna showed Maura how to scatter the pumpkin seeds and Anna let her do half a row before they switched to other seeds and Maura helped with those. She had seen the other woman watching her curiously or huddled together at the end of a row talking and giggling but none of them had approached her. Maura had worked silently as she did not know what to say to Anna and Anna was too busy concentrating, while Vince had simply sat under the shade of a tree near the fields and slept the whole time. Nevertheless, for Maura it was the most enjoyable time she'd had in quite a while. She was distracted from her problems and had almost felt normal, as if she was at home with Trudy helping her in her father's vegetable garden. It was quiet, repetitive work and over the hours the grey-clouded sky continued to darken and the clouds hung low and threatening, the cold wind picked up considerably as well and whipped her golden hair around her face. The women were not finished planting but the clouds opened up and rain came pouring to earth in heavy sheets. Maura squealed at as the first freezing fat drops pelted her everywhere they hit and Vince appeared beside her, grabbed her and Anna's hands, and helped them through the downpour back to the village. All three of them and the other woman where saturated as they ran though the village and disappeared into their houses. Vince steered Anna to her house and she thanked him before going inside.

"Come on lass."

Maura and Vince hurried as fast as they could through the rain and their legs were covered in mud as they reached the steep incline.

"Oh Vince," Maura shouted through the drenching rain, "We won't make it up there!" The incline had turned into more of a muddy water slide than a path.

"We be havin' t' try lass, ye canna stay in th' rain."

Vince tightened his hold on Maura's hand as they struggled and slipped up the path, Maura was even more muddy and cold by the time they reached the top and she shivered uncontrollably.

"Thank…thank you Vince."

"Go inside lass. This rain be set in, I'll be seein' ye tomorrow."

He turned and disappeared into the rain before Maura had a chance to call him into the cottage, she found she was worried about him and hoped he would make it back to his house safely. Maura hurried inside and closed all the windows and curtains before any more rain blew into the cottage. Grabbing a towel, she wiped away as much mud as she could and shivered as she peeled off her soaking dress and pulled her nightgown over her head before towel drying her hair with a fresh towel. She wished desperately for a brush as she hung her wet muddy dress and towels over the side of the bath. Lighting the two lamps she grabbed the book of Jane's she had been reading and hopped into bed, snuggling under the covers to try keep warm. The wind howled outside and the rain pelted the roof as Maura got lost in Jane's book, it was a collection of biographies and she was finding it absolutely fascinating. A few hours sped by but the rain and wind was only becoming stronger and heavier and Maura was starting to get a little worried, the windows were rattling in their frames and she glanced around the cottage before setting the book aside and getting out of bed. She peeked through a curtain and was alarmed by the blackness of the sky.

_Surely, it isn't supposed to be so dark._

The air seemed to be growing colder and Maura did not know if this weather was normal or not but she was beginning to wish she was not alone. She tried to make house Jane's house or anything else distinguishable but it was too dark and windy. The trees were bending from the pressure of the wind and leaves and other small debris flew around wildly. There was no way Maria would be able to bring Maura her dinner tonight and it only made her feel more alone and vulnerable. She lay back down, tried to distract herself from the storm by reading, and managed to pass another hour before she gave up and closed the book. Maura got out of bed gasped as she stood in a puddle, the rain had started seeping in through the bottom of the walls and the floorboards, the wind was getting even stronger still and Maura was all the more frightened. She started to pace back and forth worriedly not knowing what to do when suddenly a large branch crashed through the back wall and knocked her flying and she hit the floor heavily and moaned in pain. Lying stunned on the wet floor, Maura tried to make out what had happened but her head hurt immensely and a warm sticky substance ran into her right eye. She wiped at it and realized vaguely that it was her own blood. She stayed on the floor until her vision cleared somewhat and the throbbing in her head died down before attempting to move and feebly crawled her way to the bed. She dragged herself up and sat on the edge, shivering erratically. Her vision was blurring again, her head stabbed painfully, and she felt like vomiting. Maura knew she had to do something about the pain in her head that she was probably bleeding everywhere but she was not coordinated enough and too disorientated. She heard and felt the wind, rain and debris tearing through the cottage but didn't quite understand what was going on. Maura suddenly felt very tired and wanted to sleep but the next thing she made out was a dark blurry form coming towards her in the semi darkness and then she was against something warm and hard and instinctively she pushed herself further into the source of warmth. That was all Maura remembered before darkness overtook her.


	27. Chapter 27

**Chapter Twenty-Seven**

Maura awoke early the next morning with a fierce headache and sore dry eyes, she moaned softly as she tried to move her head, and gave up quickly. Instead, she lay and listened to her surroundings for a while, but it was quiet except for the constant tick of a clock and bird calls here and there. She struggled to comprehend what was going on and why her head was hurting so much. Slowly she rolled onto her side and the smell of sandalwood and a unique earthy, musky scent filled her nostrils. Cracking her right eye open she glanced around a dim unfamiliar room. The sandalwood smelt all too familiar, but the pain in her head made it too hard to think for long periods and she could not work out why it was familiar. She shut her eyes and drifted back off into a restless sleep. When Maura awoke two hours later, it was to rain on the roof and a steady wind. The pain in her head was more bearable and she stretched gently as the familiar scent from the sheets invaded her senses. Opening her eyes slowly she looked around the room but didn't learn much because it was too dark from the weather and heavy curtains. She was about to attempt getting out of the extremely comfortable four-poster bed but a door to her left opened and someone entered the room. Maura lay still as she heard rustling movements then the hiss of fire lit up the room as a lamp was lit and Maura saw a young woman holding it and looking at her.

"Maria," Maura breathed as everything suddenly came back to her. The seedlings with Anna, the down pouring of rain and the rush to get back to the cottage, Vince leaving her and the storm growing worse over the hours then blood and confusion.

"Where am I?" she rasped groggily, "What happened?" It hurt her head to talk and she winced.

Maria stepped closer with the lamp and it cast an eerie glow about her.

"Late yesterday afternoon you were hit by a branch while you were in the cottage. Apparently, Jane came and got you out of there. You have a nasty gash to your head, it required stitches I'm afraid." Maura took some time to digest this information. She now knew the source of her head pain and fingered her forehead gently, encountering cloth wrapped around the top of her head.

"How…how many stitches?"

"Ten, I didn't sew up your wound, Jane did." Even though Maura was groggy, she caught the annoyance that flashed across Marias face every time she mentioned Jane helping her.

"Where am I now?"

She was getting tired from this simple conversation and wanted to sleep again.

"You're in the captain's bed." Maura stiffened at this news and this time missed the look of pure malice Maria shot her way.

_Oh, god I'm in the monsters bed! No wonder the smell is familiar!_

Maura shuddered lightly and not because the smell of Jane was unattractive, but rather quite the opposite.

_Oh God why must the monster smell so pleasing to me?_

"I don't understand…why am I in Jane's bed." Maura was decidedly uncomfortable being in the formidable pirate's bed.

Again Maria bristled at the familiarity in which Maura addressed her lover and tried to remain as calm as she could. The woman did not belong in Jane's bed, she did!

"You are in the captain's bed," Maria emphasized the word captain, "Because the cottage needs to be repaired once the rain goes away. Jane does not have a guest room." Maura was greatly confused by the unfriendly looks Maria kept sending her way. She was under the impression they had been interacting smoothly enough but the looks Maria was giving her proved otherwise.

"Is there nowhere else I can stay?"

"I'm afraid not," Maura spoke tightly, "The captain wants you where she can keep an eye on you."

_Don't you mean so she can control me? _Maura thought grimly.

"How is your head?"

"Manageable for the moment."

Maria stood up, walked over to the door, and picked up a tray that she had left on a solitary chair before returning to set it down on a dark mahogany beside table.

"I brought you some breakfast in case you are hungry." Maura spotted two pieces of toast and orange juice and her stomach grumbled approvingly.

"Thank you Maria."

"I will be back up later to check on you, but you are to remain in bed captain's orders."

_Of course! Captain's orders! _Maura was getting rather frustrated by captain's orders.

She just nodded and Maria walked to the door, "Maria wait."  
>Maria turned around at the urgency in Maura's voice.<p>

"Have I done something to upset you?"

Maria stiffened visibly as did her jaw, "You want the truth?"

Maura nodded warily.

"Okay. I do not like you being in my lover's bed. Just keep your sights off Jane and we won't have a problem." And with that, Maria left the lamp in Jane's bedroom with an utterly astonished Maura sitting in Jane's bed, mouth agape like a fish gasping for air. Suddenly she was not hungry.

**J&M**

Jane strode briskly out of her house and down the stone stairs to begin accessing the damage done from the unexpected wild weather last night, she picked her way tersely through fallen branches and debris as she checked the outside of her house. Apart from being covered in leaves, twigs and mud the house was structurally sound, the gardens and surrounding grounds however were a complete mess. It was going to take a couple of weeks to get everything in order again and she scowled at her surroundings. The sun had not long ago risen above the horizon but its light was muted considerably by rain clouds, there was more rain yet to come and Jane's bad mood worsened. She was the only person awake so early but wanted it that way, she did not want company this morning, not after last night. She made her way intently back around the front towards the cottage, she was not looking forward to how much damage there would be. A large branch had fallen over the incline and Jane grunted and slipped in the mud with the effort it took to move it alone, however, she was stronger than some men were and eventually she had it moved enough to continue upwards. Her polished black boots had thick chunks of mud stuck to them and she kicked them against trees as she went sending the chunks flying. Once up the top she kicked the last of the mud from her boots and walked around the cottage. It was the same as her house, dirty but structurally sound until she walked around the back.

"Fuckin' hell!"

The branch that had hit Maura had also taken out a good amount of the back roof, wall and one window.

"Goddammit." Jane hissed under her breath. Walking closer she stepped through the hole into the half-wrecked saturated interior. Thankfully, none of the furniture was broken but there was debris and water over everything, including the bed and her books. The cottage was an absolute pigsty and Jane cursed some more. When she saw the watered down blood on the floor and its progress towards the bed where it was less diluted from the rain she grimaced. The goddamn branch and the blood surrounding her was the main source of her anger and frustration this morning. It was the main reason she wanted to be left alone. Whatever the hell was happening to her emotions all of a sudden was pissing her off something fierce. Jane was used to anger, rage, fury, frustration, greed, hell even pride. However, the feeling that had settled briefly in her stomach last night when she had come to get her prisoner baffled her, and because she didn't know why she felt it, even if it was only for a split second, it made her all the angrier. Jane liked to be in control, always, of herself and of everyone else. Seeing the blood brought back the panic she had felt when she saw the woman swaying precariously on the bed with blood running down her beautiful face. For some unexplainable reason she had actually been worried for the annoying woman's safety. She had since tried to pass off the feeling due to potentially losing her fortune if anything happened to the woman. But then she remembered how she had felt when she had the woman in her arms, because it was something she had never felt before when holding another woman. She had felt warm, and as the woman snuggled further into her, she had somehow felt content knowing she was okay. Jane had simply stood there in a trance gazing down at her until the woman had grumbled softly and broken Jane's intense study. Then she remembered pulling the woman tighter into her embrace as she had stumbled and struggled through the savage wind, rain and darkness. They were both saturated and Jane muddy by the time she made it to the veranda and Maria had been waiting for her.

"Maria get some towels an' a blanket." She growled before storming inside traipsing water and mud through her house.

"My god what happened?"

"Just get what I asked fer, now!"

Jane strode into her library and lay the unconscious woman down on one of the lounge chairs and Maria came in with what Jane requested. She took the blanket and threw it quickly over the woman before grabbing a towel and wiping away some of the blood around the gash in her forehead. It was close to her hairline, deep and quite long.

"Maria, I need whiskey."

As Maria went to grab the whiskey Jane strode back across the dining room into her ship room and found the necessary supplies she needed and returned to the still unconscious woman and Maria.

"Thank ye Maria." She took the whiskey and soaked the corner of a towel before running it over the gash. Then she worked silently and meticulously to remove bits of dirt and slithers of bark before drowning the gash in whiskey once more.

"Good thin' ye aren`t awake this time." She grumbled.

"What?" Maria said quietly making Jane grunt, she had forgotten she was even there.

"Nothing."

Maria eyed Jane's broad back suspiciously, as she hovered over Maura but remained silent. She enjoyed watching Jane work; her hands were so strong, so adept with whatever she used them for. Maria thought of one thing in particular she used them for and blushed hotly. She needed to get Jane into bed as soon as possible!

Jane set up the needle and thread before rinsing her hands with whiskey and with one hand she pushed the deep gash closed and with her other began to stitch it closed, she had done this umpteen times before and stitched up the gash neatly and effortlessly. Then she lifted the blanket-clad woman back into her sinewy arms and carried her into her bedroom, placing her down on her side of the bed.

"I'm goin' t' make a bath, after I be in, change th' lass' dress an' cover her up wi' blankets again."

Maria was livid that Maura was in their bed, she could have just stayed in the library on the lounge chair, Maria was desperate for Jane but Maura had ruined her night. Keeping her anger to herself as best she could Maria helped Jane prepare a bath and then went to change Maura's dress grudgingly.

When Jane had returned to her bedroom after her bath, she was in a grim, angry mood. Maria had wound her arms around Jane's firm torso from behind and bit her shoulder suggestively and Jane had replied with a gruff, "Not tonight Maria." She was too preoccupied trying to figure out why she had been panicked at the cottage and was in no mood for sex. Maria had dropped her arms now furious and left Jane's house with a curt goodnight. Jane swore furiously and checked on the woman before retiring to her library.


	28. Chapter 28

**Chapter Twenty-Eight**

Jane started and her hand went to her pistol at her side as a crunching noise brought her back to the present. Vince popped his head into the broken wall and Jane relaxed her grip on her pistol with a grunt.

"Tryin' t' get yersef shot Vince?"

"Stone th' crows! What th' hell happened here! Where be Maura?"

"She be in th' house. Damn lass went an' got herself knocked ou' last night."

"What? How? Be she okay?"

"The branch ye be lookin' at right now be how. She be fine, some stitches t' th' head be all."

Vince looked around the ruined cottage dubiously; there was no way Maura could stay in here until it was repaired.

"How long do ye think 't will take t' repair?" He asked, waving his hand around at the damage that had been done. Jane glanced around the cottage avoiding looking at the blood before replying, "A week, maybe more."

It was roughly what Vince estimated and he wondered where Maura would stay during that time.

"I can take Maura t' me house until 'tis repaired."

"No!" Jane almost snarled before lowering her voice, "No. 'Tis fine she can stay in th' house."

Vince was surprised by her somewhat violent outburst but said nothing, although it did not stop him from thinking about it. It wasn't that it was unusual for Jane to snarl or be angry, but to Vince she had almost sounded protective towards Maura and that was very unusual.

"What`s th' rest o' th' village like?"

"'Tisn`t so good."

"Shit!

Jane would need to check out the village with Barry and Vince as well as the ships, she didn't want company but unfortunately, what she wanted would have to wait a little.

"I'm off t' check 't ou' then, th' ships too, ye comin' wi'?"

"Aye I will."

Vince wanted to check on Maura but knew he had to go with Jane, he and Barry were her second and third in command and they both should be with her to access all the damage done. Checking on Maura would have to wait a little longer so the both of them left the cottage and went down into the village. By the look of the clouds, the rain would probably not hold off much longer and Jane wanted to check as much out as possible before it arrived. Unfortunately, for Jane's solitary mood a lot of her crew were out and about checking out the mess the wild weather had created. She was forced to chat with her men to answer their questions and assuage their concerns but found that doing so helped to keep her mind off what was angering her. She went to Barry's house and was greeted by a tangle of small arms wrapped around her sturdy legs.

"Captain Jane!" Abby squealed as the twins both stretched their arms up requesting to be held.

Barry entered the front room and gently nudged his kids aside.

"Not today scallywags captain Jane an' I be havin' work t' do."

They whined and fussed but Barry was having none of it, and Anna came out to keep them from becoming permanently attached to Jane's legs.

"I will play wi' ye soon kids, captains honor." She saluted them and they giggled happily.

The three of them left Barry's house and walked down to the dock to inspect the ships. Jane and Barry checked over Spiritus and Vince checked Orpheus. Jane grunted happily, when they found no real damage to their ships, both were dirty but intact. Nearing the end of their inspections the clouds once again opened up and pelted the island with heavy rain and Barry went home and left Jane and Vince standing in the downpour.

"I want t' look in on Maura if that`s okay wi' ye captain?" Vince shouted to be heard above the rain.

"'Tis fine I haven`t checked on th' lass' yet." Jane hollered back.

"Where be she in th' house?"

"Me bedroom."

Vince raised a bushy grey eyebrow, "Aaa alrite I will go look in on th' lass' now."

Jane nodded and went behind the bar for cover and Vince picked and slipped his way through the rain and debris back to Jane's house. Vince had known Jane a long time and he knew how she acted and responded to situations and people more so than she realized he did. But at the cottage this morning she had reacted in a way he hadn't expected her too, she had an almost feral look in her eyes when he had volunteered to look after Maura. He was perplexed by it but let it go as he opened the French doors and stepped into Jane's dining room. He went to her main bathroom and grabbed a towel to dry his hair and as much of himself as he could before making a beeline for Jane's bedroom. Tapping lightly on the solid door he heard no reply and tapped again but still there came no reply, so he slowly opened the door and stepped into the dark masculine room. A lone lamp sat on a bedside table but Maura was not in Jane's bed. Vince glanced around the darkened room and spotted a small form curled up on one of the dark green lounge chairs in the corner of the room. She had dragged a blanket from Jane's bed and had it draped over her waist. Vince noticed the blood stained bandage wrapped around her head and frowned, the wound was probably just having a weep but he thought Jane would want to know about the condition of her prisoner even if it wasn't serious, but Maura did look rather pail. He sighed gruffly and went back out into the cold rain to find Jane. He went back to the bar where he had left her but she was no longer there, by now he was completely saturated and miserable but he had to find the captain. She would be furious if he was to keep anything about the prisoner from her. Vince eventually found Jane at Barry's house sitting on the back porch with three kids squished onto her wet lap. He explained Maura's bandage and Jane lifted three wet bottomed and disappointed children from her legs and stood up.

"Sorry sprouts I be havin' t' go now. Barry, Anna thanks fer th' roof an' coffee."

She left Barry's house with Vince in tow and to his surprise asked him to wait in the dining room while she checked on Maura, Vince nodded expressionlessly but was at a loss over Jane's unusual behavior today. Jane walked into her bedroom, saw the empty bed and glared around her room until she spotted a small figure draped in her blanket on the lounge chair.

_Why th' hell be ye on th' lounge chair?_

Jane strode over to the chair and crouched down to examine the bloodstained bandage. She needed to wake the woman up and check the wound; she was looking a little too pale. Jane placed a strong hand over her left shoulder and shook her.

_Damn lass probably bumped her head movin'._

She didn't wake at first and Jane shook her shoulder more roughly, until the woman stirred and opened her eyes slowly. She took a while to focus her vision but when she did her hazel eyes landed on Jane's face and she paled further.

"Your head be bleedin', I need t' check 't. Sit up." Jane went to grab her arm to help her sit up but the woman shrank from her touch and pushed herself into a sitting position without assistance. She was groggy with sleep and her right eye had bruising coming out around it.

"That won't be necessary, I am a doctor I can take care of myself." Maura swayed lightly as she made this statement and looked down at her lap.

"Good god," Jane growled, "You be havin' hit yer head movin', yer back t' th' doctor thin' again. Fuck why couldna ye jus' stay in th' bed?"

Before Maura could protest, Jane lifted her into her arms and carried her wordlessly back to her bed. Jane stared down at her forcefully and Maura up at her like a deer caught in headlights.

"Please put me down." She whispered and Jane's intense study of her ceased as she put Maura back on her side of the bed.

"I'll be back in a moment." She said gruffly but Maura stopped her progress from the room when she spoke. She did not want to be near Jane right now and was willing to chance her anger to get what she wanted.

"I meant what I said, I am a doctor, and I can take care of my own wound. Thank you." She waited tensely for Jane's reply and she was not disappointed as she saw the captain's hands clench into fists as she turned slowly.

"You be havin' a head wound so I be nay goin' t' hold this against ye, but will ye jus' shut up, ye be nay a doctor, ye be me prisoner an' I will take care o' 't."

Maura felt dizzy and her head was beginning to ache but Jane's ignorance and pride was making it worse. She may have been extremely confused and daunted about what Maria had told her about the captain earlier on but she was not going to lie here and let Jane tell her what she was and what she was not, Jane did not know her. She tilted her head up slightly but was unable to meet Jane's eyes, "What makes you so confident that I'm not a doctor?"

"Damn 't all lass, I may be a seafarin' pirate but I know how th' world works! Women ain`t allowed t' be doctors fer one an' I dasn't think ye`re smart enough fer th' other."

Maura bristled indignantly and this time met Jane's hard dark eyes, "You don't know if I'm smart enough or not!"

Jane strode back around to her side of the bed and Maura inched back but had nowhere to go once Jane put a fist either side of her hips and bent so close that Maura could feel the heat emanating from her and smell the natural oils from her damp unruly locks and it made her stiffen nervously.

"I do know that ye annoy th' hell ou' o' me an' I can quite easily lock ye on board Spiritus fer as long as I damn well like."

It must have been her head wound and Jane's close proximity that brought out boldness in Maura that was usually not a part of her personality. She stared at Jane's thick black eyebrows and dense eyelashes that hung heavily over her eyes, it was hard not to notice the wild beauty of the woman, that whenever she was close Maura's body reacted to her in a way it had never reacted around anyone else in her life, not even her own fiance. There was a tension between them that had nothing to do with anger or fear and Maura was at a complete loss as to what it was or what was causing it.

"Do it then," She replied sweetly, "Lock me on board Spiritus, at least I won't have to see you which suits me perfectly."

Jane made a noise deep in her throat, her frown intensified, and Maura had the strange urge to run her finger between Jane's full eyebrows and smooth the lines out between them.

_Oh gosh, I think I'm getting a fever; I'm acting so strange, perhaps my head is infected._

"Fuck! Look, fer yer sake I will pretend I be nay hearin' anythin' yer saying. Wait here an' dasn't move."

"But if I am on board the ship, Maria can come back to your bed." It was out before Maura realized what she had said but when did she gasped in shock and her hand flew to cover her open mouth.

"I'm sorry it just came out I didn't mean…"

"Enough!" Jane hollered in Maura's face cutting off her words and making her flinch. Maura looked down at her lap and Jane grabbed her jaw lifting Maura's face to look at her own furious one.

"You been spyin' on me," It was said like a fact not a question and Maura's own anger flared, "No! Maria told me she was your lover this morning, I say she must have a severe mental problem if she is…is…well if she is with you! Do you not know she is a woman? What is wrong…" again Maura's words were cut off as Jane put pressure on her jaw making Maura wince.

"Shut up. Just shut up lass." It came out of Jane's tight mouth barely above a whisper and Maura could hardly hear her even though they were close enough that their breath mingled.

"I be goin' t' clean yer wound so ye will wait here. If ye leave this bed I will tie ye to 't. Don't move!" Jane's eyes roamed Maura's face briefly, before she removed her hand from her jaw and left without a word, slamming the door behind her.


	29. Chapter 29

**Chapter Twenty-Nine**

Jane walked out onto her back veranda and swore ferociously before her right fist connected solidly with a veranda post, then again until she split two of her knuckles open from the force of her punches, she swore again from the pain and began pacing. She had a hard time restraining herself when all she really wanted to do was hunt down Maria and throttle her. Maria had no claim to Jane; she was owned by no one and never would be, Maria and her were not lovers they simply fucked on and off yet she had the nerve to go around acting as if Jane was hers and what made it worse was the fact she was telling people. Jane slammed the post again and fresh blood seeped from her swelling knuckles.

_Fuck Maria yer goin' t' get 't next time I be seein' ye, jus' ye bloody well wait!_

She continued to prowl along the veranda like a wounded lion as the wind blew sheets of rain in on her. One thing she knew without a doubt was that she would never touch Maria again, what she done this morning was the last straw and Jane wanted nothing more to do with her. She would have to look elsewhere for sex but the thought did not bother her, she had grown tired of Maria and wanted something different.

"What has ye so worked up?" Vince had come out onto the veranda and had quietly been watching Jane's prowling, her damaged; bleeding hand was not lost on him.

"Nothin' I canna handle myself." She growled out.

Vince was not convinced, something or someone had set her off and he had an inkling it was something to do with Maura. He decided to test this theory.

"Are ye sure ye dasn't want me t' look after Maura at me house?"

"What? Nay, I said 'tis fine," She grunted, "Ye can go Vince. Thanks fer lettin' me know about th' woman." Vince merely shrugged and walked down the back steps wondering why the woman had to be so damn closed off. Jane sighed and ran a frustrated hand through her damp hair before going into her ship room where she wiped the blood from her damaged hand then set about getting salted water, rags and ointment for the woman's wound. If she could settle one bloody thing today out of the list of her growing problems it would be a wonder. She walked back into her room to see the woman fidgeting nervously with her sheet. She glanced at Jane quickly before looking away and flushing.

"Lie down lass."

She finally did as she was told without question and lay down avoiding eye contact with Jane. She sat down on the side of the bed and her hard thigh pressed against Maura's hipbone making Maura flush a little more. Jane dropped the items unceremoniously on the other side of Maura's small frame and without asking reached to her head and began loosening the bandage.

"Lift yer head."

Maura did as requested, Jane removed the bandage, and bent closer to inspect the wound, Maura kept her head averted towards the bedside table as Jane hovered over her. She muttered something before straightening and grabbing a rag to soak in the salt water. Maura spoke up quietly.

"Is it infected? It doesn't smell like it."

"Well thar`s yer answer."

Jane lent back over Maura and began to bathe away the dried blood before drying it and wiping a generous amount of the same ointment she used on Maura's side on top of it, she then placed white padding over it and re wrapped her head with clean bandaging. It was then she noticed the cold untouched breakfast sitting on the other bedside table.

"Why did ye nay eat yer breakfast?"  
>"I was not hungry."<p>

Jane sighed in frustration and Maura chanced a glance in her direction. Her eyes fell upon Jane's split, swollen and now bruised knuckles.

"Did that help?"

Jane glared at Maura dangerously when she noticed where the woman's eyes were directed and made to get up but she was stopped as a soft small hand grabbed her damaged one. Jane stiffened and glared at her and was about to pull her hand away when Maura sat up and her other hand reached out to take her damaged hand. Jane remained seated and watched silently as the woman professionally and quietly studied her hand; she was merely humoring her because she kept saying she was a doctor. Jane looked down between them at her larger, tanned hand held gently between two smaller cream ones. The woman's hands were delicate yet strong in their own way, her nails where white and well manicured and her skin was softer than Jane thought skin could be. Her hand however was broad and strong, with rough calluses on her palm and fingers and thick veins that branched up her arm. Their heads were close together and Jane caught the sweet smell of the woman's hair, and her jaw tightened reflexively in response. Maura coughed softly and Jane glanced up to find she had been watching her. They stared at each other a few moments before Jane spoke but her voice was deeper and huskier than usual.

"What?"

Maura gulped and squeezed Jane's hand gently.

"You will need stitches captain."

Whatever had just taken place between them was broken as Jane grimaced.

"They be fine. I will make ye somethin' t' eat an' ye better eat or I will force feed ye lass."

Maura was tired, frustrated, her head ached and she did not like being called lass all the time. She had a name and wanted this beast that sat before her with her warm hand between her own to use it. Everyone else on this island had done so, so Jane could as well.

"I will eat if you let me stitch your knuckles. And please use my name, it's Maura." She raised her eyebrow at Jane and hers furrowed lower over dark eyes.

"I dasn't think yer in a position t' bargain wi' me."

"You will if you want me kept in good health."

Jane growled and pulled her hand roughly from Maura's.

"I will nay bargain wi' ye lass."

And with that, Jane took her uneaten food and left once again slamming the door and Maura sighed before lying back down. She began drifting in and out of sleep and it was not long until Jane returned with two fresh pieces of toast with wild honey and a cup of tea, she placed the tray down on the bedside table and the noise stirred Maura awake. She noticed groggily that Jane had tied her tangled locks back and had changed into dry clothes, but this time she wore a long sleeved black leather jacket. She looked impossibly handsome and Maura mentally scolded herself.

"Sit up an' eat this."

"Not until I stitch your hand."

Jane immediately started to get frustrated again after only managing to calm down some.

"No! Ye`ll probably end up stitchin' me fingers together now enough."

"Then I won't eat. I am a doctor and it is my duty to help you and others when they need it."

Jane glared down at Maura before chuckling huskily in her throat and it sent unwanted shivers up Maura's spine.

"'Tis yer duty be 't? Someone rich, entitled an' snobby like ye has a duty towards me?"

Maura ignored what Jane said took a large breath and started to get out of bed.

"What th' hell be ye doin'?" Jane snarled and Maura flinched but continued to get herself out of Jane's bed

"If you won't get the medical supplies I need I will find them myself. Or are you scared of a needle and thread?" Jane put her hand on Maura's shoulder and pushed her back down into a sitting position on her bed.

"Don`t be ridiculous lass, eat ye damn food before 't goes cold an' I will go get what`s needed."

Jane left to get the supplies and Maura just sat on the edge of the bed, opening and closing her mouth stupidly.

_What just happened? Did I just win? Was that all it took, was for me to challenge her pride? I cannot believe it. Did I really just change her mind that easily?_

Maura of course found this revelation fascinating. Was that all she needed to do in order to get her own way? She would store this information away and experiment in other situations to see if it worked as well as it just had. She was still mulling over the sudden discovery with surprise when Jane returned with what was needed to stitch her hand. She moodily went about placing a towel on the bed and sat whiskey, ointment, needle and thread on the bedside table before looking at Maura darkly, "Okay lass, do yer worst." She shoved her painful looking hand towards Maura and waited to see what she would do. Maura took Jane's warm hand gently in her own and pulled it down to the towel; she was now in doctor mode and grabbed a left over rag from before, soaked it in whiskey and lifted Jane's hand into her own and gently began to clean out the two gashes and all her scraped skin. Jane's hand tensed around hers Maura's but she remained silent as Maura worked quietly and efficiently. The gashes were rough and messy and once Maura was finished cleaning them she gently prodded and squeezed them to see how best to close each one.

"Havin' a bit o' trouble thar?" Maura glanced up at the dark haired pirate to note what could only be sarcasm on her face. Maura tensed but kept working, she was not going to let Jane get the better of her.

"I am merely looking for the neatest way to close your wounds."  
>"Lass I be covered from head t' toe in scars, do ye really think I care about two more? Hurry up or I will do 't myself."<p>

Maura nodded wordlessly and threaded the needle before disinfecting it, she was still going to take all the time she needed, as she never rushed her work. She started on the smaller of the two gashes and closed it up with three stitches. Jane never flinched or made a sound and despite the fact that she did not like the pirate Maura was suitably impressed. Little did she know but Jane was suitably impressed herself at Maura's work for she actually knew what she was doing, she did not pale or balk at the sight of blood and stitched neatly and gently, taking considerably more care stitching than Jane did with her own wounds. She started on the second gash and Jane alternated between looking at Maura's face and her hand being stitched. She had suitably been put in her place by this woman and had no way to deny that she knew what she was doing, the woman was probably a doctor after all, and this stunned Jane but she kept it to herself. She hated it when her pride took a battering and it had just happened. Swallowing heavily she found herself once again studying the woman's face intently as she worked. There were small concentration lines between her delicate eyebrows and Jane's eyes traveled down her straight freckled nose, taking in her soft looking lips pursued lightly and then back up again to repeat the process. Against her will, a little bit of respect for the woman crept in and Jane was angry with herself. The woman's cheeks began to flush under her perusal and Jane could tell she was getting flustered but the flushing only made her more attractive.

_God dammit she isn't attractive, she's just an annoying pain in the arse!_

Maura looked up and stiffened at Jane's dark eyes upon her face.

"What?" she replied quietly, and Jane knew she was nervous.

"Nothin' keep going." She grunted.  
>Maura finished the other wound, cleaned away the blood, gently wiped ointment on and then wrapped her hand up in bandage. Jane stood and gathered up the supplies before looking at Maura with an unreadable expression.<p>

"Thanks. Eat yer food an' I be back wi' dinner tonight."

She left Maura alone and she glanced over at the toast before sighing and lying down. Maura did not know what she had expected from Jane, but was not surprised she had not apologized or mentioned anything about her capabilities. She was in the beginning stages of realizing how proud a woman Jane was and obviously, that pride did not take well to being wounded. The meager thanks did not bother Maura greatly, she had done more for others without thanks or recognition and she was used to it, she loved helping people with or without their praise or expecting something in return. She had helped many a patient with the doctor's fee coming from her own pocket; she gave freely wherever she could.

Maura rolled onto her side and Jane's scent filled her scenes making her feel weak in a way she didn't understand so she got up and went back to the lounge chair without the blanket. It was cold but Maura did not want Jane's scent from the blanket around her, it was too distracting. She was greatly troubled by Marias declaration earlier on this morning. Maura did not know it was possible that two people of the same sex could actually have sex, the thought had never occurred to her once in her life and she was greatly distressed by the information she had been given. Sex was something Maura did not think much about to begin with, let alone sex with another female. Surely, it must not be very popular or approved of? Maura had never seen or read about two females sharing intimacy in any of the books she'd had her nose in over the course of her life. It was such an enormous concept to take in, consider and process and Maura's head ached, question upon question bombarded her brain and she wanted to sleep but her thoughts would not let up.

_How would two females even have sex?_

_Do men have sex together as well?_

_But what about babies, how do they make them with the same parts?_

_I wonder if it feels different from standard sex._

_I wonder what sex feels like anyway._

_Does Jane have sex with males too?_

_I wonder what Jane does when having sex?_

"Good grief Maura, your train of thought is highly inappropriate," She muttered to herself and gave up on sleeping, all her thoughts about sex were making her uncomfortable and she needed to distract herself, she could not process such a large discovery all in one day. Maura crept over to Jane's bed and grabbed the lamp off the bedside table before opening each curtain covering the long slim windows in her bedroom. It was a large, masculine yet luxurious room filled with dark colorings. Maura went to the fireplace on the left wall and studied the ornaments on the mantle; she did not need the lamp any longer, as the light from the grey sky was sufficient enough. There were only a few ornaments, one of a large model ship, a dark vase with African designs and a small statue of a naked voluptuous woman with a sheet twisted around her body. Maura blushed and turned away. There was a door on the same wall the bedhead was against but Maura could not bring herself to venture there. A large dark closet against the wall, the lounge setting, and a decent sized chest at the end of the bed finished off the room. Maura noted the dark almost black rug beneath her feet and the unused sconces on the wall and while the room was masculine, it was tasteful. Maura thought it suited the gruff, hard pirate well, although it could do with a few more pieces of furniture. She thought of her own bedroom, her own bed, her whole father's townhouse and she missed it all, but most of all she missed her father and Garrett. She longed to see their faces, to talk and laugh with them and smell her father's cigars or Garrett's subtle cologne. Maura was tearing up, she needed something to divert her attention and wondered if she could perhaps find Jane and ask her for some books. Maura knew it was not a very wise idea, but neither was snooping through Jane's house without her knowing. She paced back and forth over the soft rug for a while, trying to decide what she should do. Her head hurt and she knew she needed sleep but it was not happening, maybe if she had some books to read they would exhaust her overactive mind and she would be able to sleep. Maura made up her mind and went to the door, opened it quietly and peeked her head out a little. She got her bearings of the house but could not see Jane anywhere. It was still raining so Maura did not think she would be outside. Creeping cautiously into the dining room she felt guilty and immediately began to rethink her decision, but instead, she called out softly.


	30. Chapter 30

**Chapter Thirty**

"Captain?"

She was frightened that she would anger Jane but the library was just down the dining room, she could go there quickly and grab some reading material.

_No Jane will be furious if she sees me with her books when I did not ask her permission. _

Maura was debating her dilemma and failed to hear the footsteps coming towards her from Jane's ship room until it was too late. Jane glanced up from a map she had been studying and caught the woman standing in the dining room apparently lost in her own thoughts.

"What th' flyin' fuck be ye doin' in here?" Jane said making Maura jump violently before she tried to turn away to go back into Jane's room, however, Jane's legs were long and stronger than Maura's and she marched around the dining table and grabbed a hold of the woman's arm before she even got close to the bedroom door. Jane swung her around quickly but was not expecting the tears that were falling from the woman's eyes.

"I'm sorry captain," she squeaked, "I was trying to find you; I only wanted to ask for some books."

Jane's grip on her arm loosened slightly, "Why th' hell be ye cryin'?"

Maura had not expected this question, "I…I miss my family, I want books to distract myself." She had been staring down at the polished floorboards the entire time and Jane dropped the map onto the dining table before using her bandaged hand to lift Maura's chin so she would look at her. She was frightened and confused and Jane let go of her chin, "You ortin't be walkin' around me house, first me sketch book, now this?" Maura dropped her head once more and Jane's jaw clenched, "Look at me when I be talkin' t' ye." Maura forced herself to look up at Jane's dark countenance, she was angry no doubt and Maura was scared but did not feel as threatened by her this time. Jane spoke to her once more, but her deep voice was less harsh, "I dasn't know how ye act back 'ere ye came from, probably entitled most o' th' time, but here on me island, in me house, ye be nay free t' do as ye wish." Jane watched as more tears fell from the woman's rich hazel eyes and she let go of her arm. She was not as angry as she should have been by the woman's snooping and that realization made her angrier than the actual snooping did.

_God dammit what th' fuck be wrong wi' me today?_

"For fuck's sake", she growled deeply, "Come wi' me."

Maura watched Jane stride off on her long, strong legs before she followed her into the library. Jane went to her desk and pulled a cigar from one of the draws and Maura watched as she clipped the end, lit it and stuck it between her white teeth as she wrung out the match. She blew out smoke leisurely then sat down behind her desk and stretched her legs out to the side casually. Maura was staring openly, Jane was so masculine and dominant in her actions, and she had yet to get used to a female who acted so differently, who was so different from other females. But she had to admit that although unusual, it was not at all unbecoming, the only thing Maura found unnecessary was her habit of swearing and spiting.

"Would ye care t' tell me why ye be starin' at me?"

Maura blushed profusely at being caught staring.

"You...you just act so manly, I'm not used to it."

"Well," she blew cigar smoke into the air, "I can assure ye I be all female."

Maura blushed more and averted her gaze to Jane's impressive collection of books.

"May I please read some of your books?"

"Aye grab what ye wish."

Maura started looking through her collection and quickly found herself lost but not fully distracted in Jane's books. The first time she had been in this library she had forgotten Vince was even in here with her, but it was impossible to forget that Jane was in the library with her this time. She felt Jane's forceful presence even though her mind was on the books and rather than taking her time to read the summaries of each book, she found she was whisking nervously through each, missing words and not able to grasp the context of them. Jane was half slouched in her chair, eyes closed and savoring her cigar but she too was aware of the woman in her library. Not only could she hear the woman's movements but she could feel her presence more, it was a distraction Jane was not used to. While females were acutely alluring to Jane, they were never distracting, she had never been physically aware of one like this on such an intimate level. Jane he could feel the woman's presence in the room as if she was touching her and she did not like it one bit. She was the master of her emotions and her feelings they never mastered her. She had no idea where this awareness had suddenly come from.

_Perhaps th' annoyin' lass be a witch, what th' hell else could 't be?_

Jane blew out smoke testily and tapped her right foot on the floorboards. This whatever it was had crept up on her and now it would not go away, she stood abruptly, dropped her cigar on the desk and began pacing restlessly around the room which only made Maura all the more nervous. She looked like a wild caged animal; some of her black locks had come free and danced around her brooding features, she was too complex and Maura did not understand her at all. Her pacing was only making Maura jittery so she went back to browsing the bookshelves. Jane was pacing herself into a fuming mess; she wanted to be outside doing something, anything, not stuck inside thinking about something she had no clue about or how to get rid of. It made her feel weak and out of control and she kicked a chair savagely startling the woman soundly.

_Fuck, I need t' get ou' o' this bloody house!_

"I'm goin' outside." She spat and marched out the French doors. Maura stared in confusion where Jane had just been and shook her head. She had no conceivable clue as to what had set the pirate off; her mood swings were so temperamental. One minute she was sitting lazily smoking a cigar the next she was pacing and kicking chairs across the room. Maura glanced around the library as if it would somehow give her the answers she was seeking. She was unsure of what to do because Jane had disappeared.

_Should I just stay here and wait for her to return or go back to her bedroom?_

However, Maura did not follow through with either of these ideas. Curiosity got the better of her and she ended up wondering back into the dining room. The French doors that lead to the back veranda were wide open and the rain was teaming down outside yet Maura could not see Jane on the veranda. She walked slowly outside, the cold wind hit her exposed skin, and she began to shiver. She looked up and down the veranda but Jane was still nowhere in sight. She looked out into the heavy rain and was able to make out some of the mess that had been made from last night's wild weather but could not spot the captain. She was going to walk around the entire veranda to see if she could find Jane but at the last second thought better of it, the pirate had been in a feral mood and Maura was positive she would not appreciate her presence right now. Instead, Maura went back into the library to escape some of the cold. She grabbed a book about shipping and one on architecture, sat down on one of the soft comfortable lounge chairs, and began to browse through the books all the while keeping an ear out for Jane's return.


	31. Chapter 31

**Chapter Thirty-One**

Jane had not gone outside but into her ship room and to the left of the entrance around the corner was a wide set of rough wooden stairs that she took down into a stone walled tunnel. Lanterns hung off the walls of the damp mossy smelling corridor lighting her way past cabinets and racks full of various weapons. She walked through an old wooden set of doors down stairs past thick stone railings into her large underground cave. Sconces adorned the cave walls and higher up into the darkness shards of light filtered through down onto the stone paved floor. This was Jane's training and treasure hideout, no one but her was permitted down here in this cavern, the air was cool and it was eerily still but it was Jane's sanctuary. One half of the cave stored all manner of pirated furniture, rolled rugs, ornaments and chests full of various treasures, from coins to jewels, jewelry and goblets. It was all stacked and ordered neat and precise and on higher ground so it would not get wet. The other much larger half of the cave was set up with mannequins made of hay and covered in English and Spanish outfits of different regiments, there were also mannequins dressed like pirates; they were all set up as target practice for Jane. A large hessian sack filled with grains hung by thick rope from a lower shelf of rock and she stalked over to it and socked the bag hard with her left fist. She punched, kneed and kicked the bag with fierce determination repeatedly until she was sweating heavily and droplets of it sprayed into the air with each movement she made.

It ran from her forehead into her eyes and she swiped it away angrily with her damaged hand and continued slamming the bag with her left. She gave the bag all she had, beating and kicking out all her anger, frustration and restlessness from the past few weeks until she sagged heavily against it, her clothes wet with sweat. She was exhausted after nearly two hours slogging it out without a break but felt decidedly lighter and once again in control of herself. She lent on the bag until her breathing returned to normal before leaving the cavern on aching legs. She was hoping her impressive effort to take out weeks of frustration would also get rid of her acute awareness of the prisoner that had sprung up from nowhere and headed to where she had left her in the library. It was nearing late afternoon, the temperature had dropped with the onset of night, and Jane found the woman curled up asleep on a lounge chair in the library using one of her books as a pillow, she was shivering as she slept and Jane thought she looked very small. She wanted a bath to ease her stiffening muscles and satisfied the woman wasn't into any mischief Jane went to get the blanket from her bed and brought it back to drape over Maura. The woman stirred and sighed lightly before her eyes fluttered open and Jane watched as she stared at the fireplace trying to gauge where she was.

"Go back t' sleep lass." Maura's eyes fell upon a blurry woman, she had to blink a few times, and her vision cleared to find a very sweaty captain looking down on her. Maura stared at her sleepily taking in Jane's dark curls plastered to her head, pink cheeks and white cotton shirt that was opened at the neck more than usual and stuck to her strong frame. Maura's eyes lazily traveled down her long sturdy legs clad in sweaty breaches to her black boots and then back up again to find an unreadable yet intense expression on Jane's face.

"You're sweaty," It was a confused statement made from a sleep-addled brain.

Jane kept her expression neutral even though she did not feel neutral. She bad been all too aware of the woman's hooded sleepy eyes tracing her tall frame lazily.

"Congratulations ye know what sweat is," Her reply came out harsher than she had intended and she saw the hurt flash across the woman's face before it turned expressionless.

"Go back t' sleep, I will get ye after me bath."

Jane turned to stride out of the library and Maura spoke to her back.

"May I have a bath also? And if it's not too much trouble a hairbrush?"

Jane turned to look at her head peeking above the lounge and took in her bandaged head, bruised eye, tangled locks and grunted.

"I suppose, come wi' me."

Maura almost groaned audibly at the thought of being able to bath and brush her tangled locks of hair that hadn't had a brush through them since she'd left Boston. Instead, she stood up slowly and followed the captain's long strides back into her bedroom. Jane's clear sweaty scent wafted back to Maura making her stomach feel weak and achy and the sensation almost tripped her up, she gasped softly and put a hand to her flat stomach as if doing so would reveal what the sensation meant. Jane cleared her throat and Maura looked up in embarrassment from her stomach to Jane's impatient face. She dropped her hand and followed Jane into her bedroom and over to the door by the bed she had not had the courage to open before. Jane opened it, went in and Maura followed, she had yet to settle completely and tried to distance herself from Jane in the small but opulent bathroom. A black embroidered rug took up most of the floor and in the center was an impossibly large porcelain white bathtub that sat on solid gold feet.

"Hand me one o' them buckets."

Maura did as she was asked and Jane placed it into the bathtub and began pumping the waterspout. They worked quietly, Maura handed Jane buckets and she filled them before lighting the fires in her bedroom and library to heat the water, it took a while but finally the large bathtub was full and steaming. Jane poured in the last bucket of water, placed it on the floor, and glanced at the woman who was looking at the water.

"Well be ye goin' t 'bath or jus' stare at 't all night?" Maura's eyes shot to Jane and she had a horrified expression on her face as she took a step backwards.

"I didn't mean I wanted…I mean I wanted to bath with…um by myself." Jane was becoming impatient fast.

"What be ye talkin' about lass?" She spoke with irritation.

"I'm not like…I mean I don't have…" The woman was breathing stupidly, she was clearly panicked and Jane was only getting more frustrated.

"God lass jus' spit 't ou' already! I be havin' nay clue what th' problem is."

Maura took a few large breaths, enough to steady herself to say what she needed, "When I said I wanted a bath I didn't mean I wanted one with you," She was blushing profusely by now "I am not, I don't, oh God, I have a fiance, a male one."

What she was trying to say suddenly made sense to Jane and her features darkened furiously making Maura push back against the wall, "What makes ye e'en think I would suggest bathin' wi' ye? That I would want t'? God ye be havin' a high opinion o' yersef" She hissed vehemently, "I wouldna bath wi' ye or screw you if ye be th' last woman on earth now get in th' bath!" She seethed at Maura before slamming the door jarringly. Maura was left breathing heavily in shock and started to cry from the shear fright and unexpected outburst, even though she should have been used to Jane's anger by now she wasn't. She had obviously read the situation wrong, the captain was drawing a bath for her not the both of them. Maura felt horribly foolish, embarrassed and upset as she stripped her dress off and stepped into the bath. She had unknowingly insulted the captain and that had not been her intention, Maura did not have a problem with Jane having sex with woman, how could she when she had only found it was possible this morning. She just did not understand it and did not want to give the captain the idea that she was interested in her that way when she wasn't. But of course, Maura had completely misread the situation and because of the way she had spoken Jane must have thought Maura was insulting her and was disgusted by her preferences and that just was not the case. The whole concept was just too new for Maura and she could not wrap her head around it all. She needed to find Jane and try to explain herself; she may be a ghastly woman but Maura still felt the need to apologize. More tears slipped down her cheeks and her head ached painfully.

_Oh Maura what have you done? You are ever the fool. Why do you always, always say the wrong things?_

She felt disheartened as she began to undo her bandage and wet her hair without wetting her nasty gash. She washed her hair and body thoroughly but it failed to lighten her mood and she remained in the bathtub until the water started turning cold, but heard no movement from behind the door and did not see any towels in the bathroom. Maura didn't know what to do and her mood only worsened. She waited until she began to shiver and knew Jane wasn't coming back to leave a towel or fresh clothing so she got out of the bath and gently opened the door to peek out. The room was dark and she heard nothing but the clock. Maura was dripping water all over the floor and she felt terribly exposed but was going to have to take matters into her own hands. Opening the door wider, she tiptoed into the room with her arms crossed over her breasts; she got to the end of the bed before stubbing her toe on the end chest that hard it brought fresh tears to her eyes.

_Darn it, darn it!_

She continued tiptoeing painfully in the direction she had seen the tall cupboard and nearly ran into it. Opening it she felt her way through it with her hands, it felt very intrusive but she could not remain wet or naked. Gratefully she found a towel, dried herself hastily, and wrapped it around her slim waist. She was able to find the lamp and light it after a few failed attempts and went to the cupboard to find a dress, she did not find any, it was all Jane's clothing so she tried to open the chest at the end of the bed but the lid was ridiculously heavy. There was no way she was venturing outside the bedroom in a towel to find Jane and she grimaced at the thought of wearing the dirty night gown again so she had no choice but to dress in Jane's clothes. With trepidation, she pulled out a black pair of breaches and slipped them on, they were too long and hung precariously low on her hips. Maura felt decidedly guilty wearing Jane's clothes, there was something about it that was boldly intimate and she shivered unexpectedly. Hastily grabbing a cotton button up she pulled it on and rolled the long sleeves up. She never did that that brush.


	32. Chapter 32

**Chapter T****hirty-Two**

Jane sat aboard Spiritus smoking a cigar angrily, she had been there over an hour already and would stay in her cabin tonight, because she could not be anywhere near her prisoner right now. The woman absolutely infuriated her like no one else ever had and Jane inhaled deeply of her cigar before exhaling testily and spitting overboard. Jane hardly ever let anyone's opinion bother her or take root; she would just let comments and gossip slide off her like water off a ducks back. She was not in the business of self-pity or giving others unnecessary power over her by listening to what people said either to her face or behind her back. Jane knew who she was and who she was not, and what she was capable of and she was always the one in control. Never had she let someone's opinion of her irritate her as it was doing right now. She spat overboard again and took a swig of whiskey straight from the bottle, lay back in her hammock and stared at the billions of stars that streaked across the night sky, the rainy weather had departed hours ago and the air was crisp and fresh. Jane noted how much larger and brighter the sky was out here compared to cities like Boston, everywhere she looked, it was dark and wild, just as she was and she felt a deep connection to the rugged place.

Jane had never felt a need to question who she had become, her unforgiving and brutal life had made her the person she was now. And having sex with females was all she had known for as long as she could remember, it was just a part of who she was. She had never been sexually interested in males and had never stopped to question that and she was not going to start questioning her preferences now or second-guessing herself, to her it was completely normal. Throughout her life, her sexual preference had been ridiculed, mocked and she had been hated because of it by many people but she had never let it trouble her. She had found people who did not care who she had sex with and chose to invest her time into them instead. Besides, it was no one's goddamn business who she fucked. Sure peoples hate frustrated her but it never got the better of her, not until now, she was furious with the woman she had left in her bathroom and could not fathom why her bloody opinion mattered when no one else's ever had. She took another swig of whiskey and enjoyed the hot burn down her throat.

_Fuck 't! Why should I give a good goddamn' if th' conceited lass thinks 'tis disgustin'?_

With that, she tossed her cigar overboard and went below deck. She had already told Vince on the way to her ship to look after the woman and that they would begin work on the cottage tomorrow at dawn.

**J&M**

Nearly a week had passed slowly by and Jane had not seen her prisoner once the whole time. She wasn't the slightest bit bothered by it, although she occasionally thought back to their conversation in her bathroom with frustration. Jane, Barry, Frankie, Tommy and a couple of her larger crew members had begun repairing the cottage, while the rest of the crew and all the woman started cleaning up the mess the wild weather had created. The freshly planted seeds in the fields had been washed away so Jane put Anna and the other women who usually took care of the fields in charge of cleaning them up and replanting. All of it was hard and time-consuming work; broken branches, palm fronds and various other debris were taken down to the beach and piled along with the unwanted garbage from Orpheus to be burnt. Each house was to be scrubbed down, roofs de-leafed and windows washed, Jane had told the villagers that she would help them with this process once the cottage had been repaired, these people were her responsibility and she would help them. Jane worked incessantly and pushed her brothers and the men to do the same so that the cottage was repaired in four full days of work. It was not repainted and the glass had yet to be made for the new window but it was structurally sound, dry and clean, ready for the woman to move back in. Jane had been sleeping in her cabin aboard Spiritus and Vince had been looking after her prisoner at the house, but on the fifth day, he had taken Maura back to the cottage, and Jane had gone back to her house. She was physically exhausted as were her brothers and they spent that day resting before she rounded up her brothers later on the afternoon to let them know they would be helping her cleaning the houses, after all their house would be included. Frankie had no problem helping but Tommy on the other hand grunted and carried on about the idea obsessively until Jane had put him in his place with a violent snarl the night before they were to start.

"Nobody wants t' be doin' this fuckin' work Tommy but they be all goin' t' help ou' anyway without bitchin' about 't, the least ye can do be to get yer dick from in between whores legs fer a couple o' days an' pitch in too!"

The unexpected weather and resulting cleanup and repair had only set them further back with the ships and Jane was not impressed about it, and Tommy's behavior only served to put her in a foul mood.

"God sis yer more o' a brute each time I be seein' ye, lighten up will you." Jane, Barry, Frankie and Tommy all had their own table by the bar and the drink as always had been flowing freely to all of them as well as the other men and women. A different whore was singing a crude song and one of Jane's men accompanied her with a banjo and another a guitar. A slew of pirates had a bonfire lit on the beach and were dancing, hollering and drinking wildly. Jane skulled the rest of her ale and belched loudly.

"I will lighten up if ye stop bitchin' like a sissy girl Tommy," She grunted before looking to one of the whores who served the dual purpose of entertaining the men and bringing them drinks at the bar and she came quickly to refill Jane's mug. The whorehouse and the bar were run by a woman called Tiffany, who was around Jane's own thirty-eight years of age, they had been helping each other in business matters for years, and occasionally other matters pertaining to sex for roughly the same amount of time. Jane simply found the woman's flaming red curls, large breasts, Irish accent and quick wit too good to resist, and of course, Tiffany had been unable to resist Jane's dark allure. They didn't see each other much anymore as their relationship had turned platonic around seven months ago. It had been a mutual idea as Tiffany had married one of Jane's men Bronson, yet they still remained in business. Tiffany may have been married now but that didn't stop her from flirting shamelessly with Jane even if that was all it was. She ran the two establishments and Jane supplied her with new girls when required as well as alcohol, and received ten percent of the profit.

Jane took a long swig of her fresh ale and sighed, the night was still young and perhaps she would visit the whorehouse herself later on, it had already been too long since she had felt a woman and she groaned inwardly at the thought.

_I need t' get myself between a lass`s legs soon._

She had yet to run into Maria as she had been too busy, and after Jane had rejected her sexual advances Maria had not been back to the house that Jane knew of. Vince had been keeping her up to date on anything important and he had mentioned she had not been around to ask for Jane. Despite the woman's petty jealousy and the way she had been acting recently Jane actually liked the girl, even if she had concluded that sleeping with someone as young as Maria had been a bad idea. Jane guessed she was only in her early twenties, she'd never felt the need to ask though, but probably should have. Jane found younger girls were usually too emotional and clingy and Maria had not been that way at first, but now her true colors were showing. She just wanted casual sex without all the baggage that came with something more and thought briefly of bedding Tiffany but had to dismiss the idea ruefully, she was married.

"Hey if 'tisn`t old Vincy boy," Tommy spoke up, "Havin' fun babysittin' thar old man?" He grinned wickedly. Vince merely punched him on the shoulder and pulled a stool up to the table. Barry and Frankie said their hellos but Jane butt in, "Vince what be ye doin' here?"

"What nay greetin' Jane?"

"Sorry, how be ye?"

"I'm fine. I'd be better if I had ale," He held up his meaty hand to get a whores attention and she went to get him a drink.

"I'm here on accoun' o' Maura be readin' an' said she would retire early so here I be."

Jane's face darkened, "Did ye lock th' lass' in?"

Vince grunted and smiled at the whore as she gave him his ale, "If 't be up t' me I wouldna bother but aye I locked th' lass' in."

"Good." Jane said.

Barry chose this moment to pipe up, "How be she?" Jane raised a questioning eyebrow at Barry but he ignored her, "My kids be havin' done nothin' but ask about th' lass', 'tis drivin' me up th' damn wall." He chuckled ruefully.

"She be doin' as well as expected, her heads lookin' much better. I never thought I'd say such a thin' but I like th' woman."

"Can we talk about somethin' else," Jane said warily but Vince continued as if he had not heard.

"She be th' first nice rich person I've come across an' she`s right smart too."

Tommy laughed, "Aye I be likin' her too, and ye know what th' nicest part about th' lass' be? Them huge tits."

Both Jane and Vince barked at him to shut up unanimously and Barry just chuckled, "That`s all ye think about ain`t 't Tommy, lasses an' tits."

Tommy took a gulp of ale and smiled proudly, "Of course, what else be thar t' think about? I been dreamin' about gettin' me hands on Maura's tits since I first seen her."

"Enough!" Jane yelled slamming her fist down on the table, her loud voice made a few of the other men curiously turn their way.

"What`s th' matter Jane, been havin' them big breasts all t' yersef? Dasn't want anyone else t' suckle on them?" He cackled and before Jane knew what hit her she was seeing red and had smashed her still healing right fist into Tommy's vile mouth, the momentum threw him back off his stool, he landed with a thud to the deck, and Jane's fists were already wrapped in his shirtfront.

"Get up ye fuckin' idiot an' fight like a real man," She thundered before planting another solid blow to her brother's stupid face. He started to cough and choke on his own blood, but Jane's rage was not assuaged and she went to hit him again but Frankie and Barry grabbed her arm and pinned it painfully behind her back and she snarled at them to let her go. Neither Frankie nor Barry believed Tommy didn't deserve what was coming to him but they had never seen Jane's rage this bad before and had enough sense to realize she would do serious damage even to her own brother if they didn't intervene.

Tommy finished coughing and glared up at Jane before his booted foot connected with her crutch solidly and she yelled in pain.

"That`s fuckin' enough ye two!" The usually calm Barry hollered as he, Vince let go of Jane's arm, and she slummed to the deck holding her privates. Both of them were gasping for air and glaring wildly at each other but made no further moves. Jane began to sober from the pain and had absolutely no idea what had come over her, her rage had been blinding, she had never experienced such swift, consuming anger before, but the way Tommy had spoken about the woman just set her off, it was disgusting and unacceptable. Her night had been completely ruined and she spat on the deck before grunting her way to a standing position, pushing off Barry's help angrily.

"Leave me be," She hissed.

The need to punch her brother was still upon her as she glared down at him.

"You're a fuckin' psycho ye know that!" Tommy yelled furiously spitting blood all over himself. "Goddammit Jane get th' fuck away from me!"

Jane did just that and limped away without another word leaving a bunch of stunned pirates and women behind her.


	33. Chapter 33

**Chapter Thirty-Three**

Maura yawned quietly and put Jane's book on architecture on top of the drawers before blowing out the lamp and snuggling back under the bed covers. She had stayed up reading long enough and wanted an early night's sleep, even though the book was almost too interesting to put down. However now that her mind was off the book, it returned to thoughts of her family and to Maura's frustration Jane, she hadn't seen the pirate for days now, and the urge to set things right and apologize to her was overwhelming. She had been confined to Jane's room for three days, which left plenty of time in-between reading and recovering to think about her family and the startling information she had found out about females having sex, although she was no more enlightened on the subject now than she had been the first time she knew about it. Maura had lain awake at nights trying to picture how it happened from a scientific point of view, but her mind kept wondering to thoughts of Jane because she was the only representation Maura knew of this different way to have sex, but it only left her blushing and unable to continue her thoughts. She just didn't understand why women would have sex with other women, because they weren't able to have babies, and if not for procreation, what was the point of sex? Was it even sex between two women? Maura was horribly confused and inept; she had finally found a subject matter that was completely baffling to her, she wanted desperately to tell the captain she did not find her preferences disgusting just different but Jane wasn't around and Maura thought sadly that she probably did not care about her opinion anyway. Jane disliked her, and had probably long forgotten about the incident, but it bothered Maura greatly. However, something else had been nagging at the back of her mind and every so often; it would surface to the forefront of her attention. Maura was not a vain person but for unknown reasons it troubled her that Jane did not find her attractive, and she was having a hard time admitting to herself that she did not like it. Maura did not want to bath with Jane or have sex with her, the idea was preposterous, so she didn't understand why Jane's opinion of her outward appearance should matter to her. She also felt terribly guilty wondering why someone else's opinion of her appearance other than her fiances should concern her.

Maria had not been back to take care of her since she had warned Maura about Jane and she figured that was her fault. Instead, Vince had been staying in Jane's house throughout the day and brought her food morning and night and made sure her head was healing well. The days had been quiet and long and she noticed she was beginning to gain weight back to her small body from all the food and lack of physical activity. Vince had been suitably impressed with her appetite but put it down to insufficient intake of food aboard Spiritus until she had casually informed him one morning over a large plate of bacon, eggs and wild mushrooms that this was her normal appetite. He had snickered happily, unable to believe a woman so small could consume so much food on a daily basis. She had finally been given a brush as she asked Vince for one and had been spending a good while each day simply enjoying brushing her wavy hair until it shone and fizzed with static. Now she was back in the cottage and was looking forward to spending the morning on the cliff watching the sunrise.

she was just beginning to drift off into a sound sleep when a loud thumping on the cottage door frightened her awake, she froze and listened to the sounds of mumbling and bickering outside until she heard her name being called unmistakably by Vince.

"'Tis jus' me lass, sorry t' trouble ye but we need yer help."

Her mind was foggy with the beginnings of sleep, "We?" she called out softly.

"Well Tommy needs help, yer doctor`s help that is."

She heard more bickering and groaning outside and realized she was inappropriately dressed to receive the two men.

"Just give me a few moments?"

"Of course," Vince said as Maura got out of bed, lit the lamp and changed hurriedly into a dress that covered her cleavage entirely, shuddering as she remembered Tommy's leeching gaze. She hurried to the door, opened it cautiously and stared mutely at Tommy's busted nose, and cut jaw. He was furious and Maura took an uneasy step backwards.

"What happened?" She asked Vince quietly.

"My fuckin' loony sister be what happened," Tommy snarled.

Maura was shocked and appalled, "Jane did this to you! Whatever for?"

"Defendin' what she thinks be all hers, lily livered bitch dasn't want t' share yer tits wi' anyone else."

Maura gasped and paled visibly at Tommy's words.

"That`s enough Tommy! Grow up lad!" Vince barked and Tommy spat angrily, "Apologize ye stupid lout before I get Jane back onto you."

"Sorry," He grunted.

Maura was still in shock over what Tommy had said and could not make sense of it; she stared quietly at Vince trying to understand what had taken place between the two siblings.

_Does Jane want my…my breasts? _

She paled again, the thought disturbed her greatly yet her nipples were stiffening slightly and she flushed in embarrassment and confusion over the reaction. Vince touched her shoulder gently and she jumped.

"Are ye okay?"

"Yes…no…I…I just don't understand."

"Don`t worry lass, suffice t' say this dope got what he deserved. Would ye mind comin' wi' me while I grab what ye will need, dasn't want t' leave ye alone wi' him."

"Hey I ain`t goin' t' hurt her, I`m nay like Jane." Tommy spat.

_No…no you are definitely not like Jane, you are worse_. Maura thought anxiously.

Vince ignored Tommy and raised a questioning eyebrow at Maura.

"Yes I'll come," There was no way she was staying here with Tommy alone.

The two of them set off down the incline leaving Tommy kicking at the dirt like a child.

Maura was unsatisfied not knowing what had happened between the two siblings, if their fighting had been about her it was therefore her business.

"Vince why were they fighting over me?"

He sighed and shook his head, "Tommy be jus' bein' crude an' Jane stepped in t'...well ye saw what she did."  
>"Jane was defending me? But why? She dislikes me, doesn't she?"<p>

"That be somethin' ye will be havin' t' ask Jane I be afraid."

Maura fell silent trying to absorb this new knowledge and remained on Jane's veranda while Vince went to get what was needed. He had to ask Maura to help Tommy because Jane was the one that they went to for medical help but he knew at the moment that Jane would rather makes more cuts in Tommy then stitch up the one he had. He had never for as long as he had known her seen her defend someone's honor so quickly and savagely. Sure, she got stuck into people who deserved it but she always had a certain amount of control about herself and knew when to let up. However, she had no control of herself when she got stuck into Tommy before and it concerned himself, Barry and Frankie, they may all be pirates but they were also family. Vince grabbed what he needed from the ship room and was able to hear Jane punching something down below in her cave; he finished getting the medical supplies and went back to Maura who was leaning against the railing.

"Does the captain need help?" She asked quietly.

"I suspect she has probably busted up her hand again, I will deal wi' Jane later."

They walked in silence back up to the cottage and Tommy was sitting on the patio leaning against the wall. Maura walked past him into the cottage and nodded for Vince to enter. Vince entered and lent against a wall and Tommy came shuffling in and sat down on the desk chair Maura had pulled out. Maura lent down closer over Tommy to examine his nose, he watched her silently through blue, green eyes, and she tried to ignore him.

"Your nose is broken I will have to put it back in place," She spoke brusquely.

"Aye well jus' get 't done, ain`t th' first time," He laughed ruefully. Maura did not join in his laughter. Instead, she felt his broad but crooked nose gently for the break.

"Are you ready?"

He nodded and Maura quickly manipulated the broken cartilage back into place and Tommy scrunched his eyes and grunted simultaneously. Maura removed her hand and a bit of blood ran from his nostrils.

"Fuck that hurt."

"Tilt your head back please."

Tommy did what was asked with a stupid grin and Maura studied the gash on the side of his jaw that ran under it, it was deep that much she could see under his dark stubble.

_My goodness Jane must have a terrible punch._

"Vince could you please hand me the whiskey and a rag," Vince did as requested and she cleaned out the wound as Tommy grunted and clenched his jaw. Maura studied his face as she worked, she realized he was actually quite handsome but did not like the look she saw in his eyes. She threaded the needle and closed the deep cut with two stitches.

"Try not to move your jaw too much for a few days," She stated before Tommy stood up and looked down at her, "Thank ye. I'm sorry fer bein' a jerk." He was sincere and it was unexpected. Maura looked up at him and nodded, "You're welcome." He turned and left the cottage and she glanced at Vince in confusion.

"I'm goin' t' check on Jane, can ye come wi' in case she needs medical help?"

Maura did want to go with Vince, the doctor in her wanted to make sure Jane was okay and she also wanted to have a chance to explain herself to the pirate, but Jane had been furious with her the last time they had been together and Maura was fearful of how she would react to seeing her.

"I'm not sure Vince, she was terribly angry with me the last time we spoke. I don't think it would be wise to see her."

"Okay I understand I'm jus' worried about her, Tommy gave her a real good kick an' her hand probably needs restitchin'. Shes as tough as nails but dasn't take care o' herself sometimes."

Maura sighed in frustration and looked around the cottage, "Okay I will come with but if she does not want help I am leaving."

"Thank ye," Vince said quietly.

Maura only nodded and followed him down to Jane's house. He opened the French doors and they went in, Maura following him into the ship room. She had never been in this room before and glanced around it with interest. Huge fishnets hung from the roof and beams and right up the back was a platform that led to another impressive desk surrounded by tall rounded windows, chairs and chests sat along the platform railing. Maura wondered why Jane had need of so many desks. To the right was yet another desk with candelabras and a grandfather clock against the wall. Closest to her was a table that had an impressive sized globe suspended through a hole in the middle of it, the globe could be spun around to whatever location was sought after and Maura would have spent time studying it had she not been needed elsewhere. To the left of the room was a simple old dining table and chairs more chests, wooden crates, sail material and large bales wrapped in rope. She scanned the room once more but did not see Jane.

"She be down there," Vince said and Maura turned to where he pointed and took in the staircase that pointed towards the back yard and disappeared underground. She walked forward curiously and looked down the tunnel but all she could see down the bottom was a stonewall with a sconce. She was instantly intruded and wanted to investigate.

"What is down there?"

"I dasn't know that be Jane's private place, nay one but her be allowed down there."

Maura was even more intrigued to know what was down there but the tunnel was off limits so she had to settle for her imagination instead.

"Jane!" Vince shouted, "Are ye still down thar?" His voice echoed down the tunnel and collided with Jane's rough voice that reverberated back up, "Aye what do ye want?" Her deep voice sent shivers up Maura's spine.

"Come up here, I need t' speak wi' you."

"Aye."

They heard Jane's heavy footsteps coming down the corridor and Maura took a step back from the top of the staircase closer to Vince. Jane made her way slowly up the steps and occasionally they heard her grunt and Maura gave an unsure glance Vince's way.

"Say what ye need," She spoke gruffly before her head came up and Maura came into her view. Maura noticed immediately she was once again covered in sweat and the stitches in her hand and opened back up but the fierce look Jane was sending her way stopped her from stepping forward to check the wounds.

"What be ye doin' here?" She stared pointedly at the woman and was unable to stop her eyes from running down her body then back up again, she had gained a bit of weight, her hair glowed in soft waves over her shoulders and she looked well rested. Her raw beauty hit Jane like a fist to the stomach and she clenched her jaw tightly.

"I just fixed your brother's face; Vince said you might be in need of help."

"I'm fine," She ground out.

The woman's beauty and the concern written on her face was frustrating Jane, she was still angry with her over what she had said the other night.

"Your hand dasn't look too fine Jane, stop bein' so stubborn an' let Maura fix it," Vince barked angrily and Jane turned her gaze to him and bunched her fists.

"I said I be fine, now please leave me house."

Maura placed her slim hand on Vince's arm, "Can you please leave us alone for a moment?" Vince was surprised by her request and saw how nervous she was, "Are ye sure?"

"Yes." She said quietly and Vince glanced to Jane before leaving them alone. Jane looked to Maura.

"What part o' leave dasn't ye understand?"

Maura took a breath and stepped closer to the dangerous pirate so that she had to look up to her. She stood transfixed as a drop of sweat rolled from Jane's forehead past her eyebrow, over her high cheekbone all the way down to the cleft in her chin. She waited to see where the drop would go next but Jane's gruff grunt broke her trance and she looked up into dark fiery eyes, she suddenly felt very small and vulnerable as those deep eyes studied hers and she nearly forgot what she wanted to say.

"I…I want to apologize for what I say the other night." Jane's eyes turned harsh and Maura swallowed. "You didn't let me explain I…"

"I'm nay goin' t' let ye explain now lass, leave."

_Good lord you are frustrating!_

Maura was flustered by the woman's stubborn, childish behavior, she had been waiting too long to explain herself and was not going to let the grumpy pirate stop her.

"Heavens above will you just be quiet!" She said in exasperation and Jane growled and took a step towards her but Maura noticed the limp she tried to hide and suddenly she went from frustrated to concerned for the overbearing brute and before she knew it had stepped closer to Jane's warmth and lightly touched the top of her leg near her belt, thinking that was the source of her pain.

"Your leg is hurt," She whispered quietly then looked up in shock at Jane's handsome face only inches above hers. She watched in nervous excitement as Jane's dark chocolate eyes traveled to her lips and darkened, and that was enough to snap Maura back to the present.

"I'm sorry."

Jane just remained quiet and Maura looked down.

"I didn't mean to be rude the other night. I…uh I'm not disgusted by your preferences, I just never knew it was possible for two women to…to do that…until Maria told me."

Her strong presence was too much for Maura to handle and she had to take a step back.

"Did Tommy kick you in the leg? Vince said he kicked you."

"No lass he kicked me between them, ye still want t' check t' be seein' if I'm okay?" She snickered bitterly and Maura gasped and blushed at the same time, she was highly embarrassed and did not know what to say so she changed the subject quickly.

"Will you let me fix your hand?" She asked hopefully instead.

"Because 'tis yer duty as a doctor right?" Jane raised a bushy eyebrow.

Maura tilted her chin up, slipped her hand into Jane's larger one, and brought it but to her face; it was swollen, split and bloodied. She was taking many liberties touching the pirate so openly and was frightened and confused by her boldness. She looked behind her at the table and chairs at the end of the room, "Can you please go and sit down so I can fix your hand."

"So 'tis yer turn t' give orders?" Jane stated deceptively casual.

"Your brother was less trouble than your being right now," She said innocently and Jane glared at her before limping over to the table and taking a seat. Her instinct was to ask Jane if she had been bleeding down below, if it had been a patient she was asking she would not be nervous, embarrassed nor uncomfortable but Jane was a not patient she was a pirate. Maura couldn't bring herself to ask the question she should ask as a professional, it was just too private and awkward. Instead she grabbed the medical supplies Vince had brought with and left on a crate and went to sit next to Jane. She had her damaged hand resting on top the table and lent over to look at it again then grabbed the whiskey bottle and cleaned Jane's hand. Jane made no movement or showed no pain even when Maura cleaned right into the reopened cuts.

"I will have to pull out these old stitches and redo them."

Jane only grunted and continued to watch Maura work. Her body was humming with awareness for the woman yet she hid it behind her gruff exterior. When Maura had stepped closer to her, touched her leg and looked up at her Jane's body had betrayed her and her stomach muscles had clenched in a gratifying ache. That ache was now replacing the pain in her groin, which only made Jane conclude she had been too long without a woman if her body was reacting the way it was to Maura's presence. She definitely needed to go to the whorehouse tonight. But it still remained in the back of her mind that she hadn't felt such a strong reaction to a woman before as she had to this one.

"Damn it!" She hissed and Maura jumped as she was tying a stitch.

"I'm sorry I didn't me to hurt you."

"You didna. Hurry I be havin' somewhere t' be."

"I won't rush my work."

"Don`t push me lass I'm nay in th' mood."

"You are never in the mood," Maura pulled another stitch tightly in frustration making Jane grunt.

"What be that for?"

"What was what for?" Maura kept on working on Jane's hand as if nothing had happened and Jane looked away muttering under her breath. It made Maura nervous to be this close to Jane; she was playing a dangerous game speaking so daringly with the pirate.

"Why did you hurt your brother because of me?"

"Tis none o' yer business lass stay ou' o' it."

"It is my business if it was about me," She said hotly.

_God you are annoying Jane!_

"Shut up lass I won`t say 't again," Jane threatened.

"My name is Maura!"

"I'll call ye whatever I want yer royal highness now quiet!" She barked and Maura pulled another stitch closed forcefully and Jane roared with anger and Maura knew she had gone too far. Jane stood up with her hand half-finished and pulled Maura up by her arm.

"Get ou' o' me house!" She bellowed and Maura tried to pull away but Jane held her arm.

"Then let go of my arm you brute!"

"God ye annoy th' hell ou' o' me lass!"

"It's Maura!" She practically spat, her eyes wide with anger and fear.

Jane lent closer to Maura and her eyes widened further as Jane's hot breath washed over her right ear sending spasms down her spine, "Fine! Maura then," Jane whispered deeply, "Get ou' o' me house." She let Maura go and stepped back to wait for her to leave but Vince walked back into the ship room.

"What th' hell be goin' on in here?"

"Nothin'! Maura…" she drew her name out sarcastically, "Be jus' leaving."  
>Maura felt surer of herself now that Vince had stepped back into the room.<p>

"I won't leave until your hand is finished."

Now that she had finally gotten Jane to use her name she wish she had not because her name coming out in Jane's husky tone brought that weak feeling back to her stomach she was unable to control.

"Jane sit down an' let Maura finish so she can go t' sleep."

"Care t' order me around anymore ye two?" Both Vince and Maura remained quiet and Jane straightened her collar and pulled her wild hair back from her face.

"Both o' ye leave now, I can finish me hand."

Maura's anger subsided and she went to take Jane's hand but she pulled back before striding past them both painfully and out of her house.

"She is the most impossible person I have ever known!" Maura stomped her foot in frustration before walking past Vince without a word. She knew two things, one, she was going back to the cottage to sleep and two she was no longer going to help the ungrateful pirate. Vince shrugged his shoulders, no longer caring and went home.

_Bugger 't, they can figure ou' whatereis goin' on between them without me help._


	34. Chapter 34

**Chapter Thirty-Four**

Jane awoke early the next morning to a naked woman tangled around her strong body, she blinked a few times and let her eyes adjust before peeking down to the woman's head resting above her breast.

_Who th' hell? I be havin' nay idea who ye are._

Jane had forgotten the whores name and stared at the top of her head wondering if her name would come back to her.

_Rebecca? Ruby? Rach…aaa fuck 't._

She yawned loudly and the woman stirred and opened her blue eyes, she saw Jane and a satisfied smile spread across her full mouth.

"Good morning captain," She purred contentedly.

"Mornin'."

The woman rolled off Jane and she stared at her breasts in appreciation as she stretched.

"God you know how to please a woman," The whore sighed smugly, rolled back over to Jane, and began nipping playfully on her earlobe. Jane pushed her off, rolled her onto her back and came over her settling between her wide open legs. The woman grabbed Jane's muscled butt cheeks and squeezed them making Jane groan and she grabbed the woman's hands off her butt, pinned them both above her head with one hand as the woman wrapped her legs around Jane's lower back.

"You're not going anywhere today," She whispered confidently.

Jane's irritation flared but she lowered her head and kissed the woman.

"I be leavin' shortly, I be havin' work t' do."

The woman pouted and Jane kissed her again but there was nothing in it, just lust.

"Make me come," She growled in Jane's ear, and Jane did just that.

**J&M**

Jane left the whorehouse sometime later smelling of stale sex and whore and ran into none other than Maria.

_Oh God ere' we go!_

Jane was not in the mood for what was sure to take place. Maria looked to where Jane had come from and smelt what she had been doing there and her eyes lit up with fury. Before she exploded in anger in front of all the villagers who were cleaning their houses Jane grabbed Maria by the arm and hurled her painfully along behind her out past the fields to where the livestock grazed. Maria fought her and hissed like a cobra the whole way but Jane was too strong, she didn't want this argument to be broad casted for everyone's ears.

"Let me go," Maria snarled and Jane let go of her causing her to stumble.

Maria slapped Jane hard across the cheek and Jane remained standing stiffly, fists clenched by her sides. She would not hit the woman even though her hands twitched. She never hit women.

"What the hell are you doing in that place?" Maria spat.

"I be doin' what people usually do in a whorehouse Maria."

"But you're my lover, you're mine, how dare you!"

That was the last straw and Jane's patience broke.

"I be nay yours!" She roared at Maria, "I dasn't belong t' ye, I nerehave an' I nerewill."

Maria was only all the more furious, "But we have only been sleeping with each other for a year now, I thought we had something and then you invite that fancy woman Maura into your bed and now this!" She pointed back towards the whorehouse.

Jane was physically imposing and menacing as she hissed at Maria and she had to take a few steps backwards from Jane's onslaught, "You keep Maura ou' o' this ye hear me, she has nothin' t' do wi' 't."

"Oh my God!" Maria laughed bitterly, "You're all smitten over that woman aren't you? Your pathetic, I can't believe you're doing this."

"You dasn't own me lass, an' ye aren`t me lover. If ye canna accept that I be sailin' t' Havana in a couple o' days an' yer more than welcome t' pack up an' leave me island. If ye can accept 't feel free t' stay here but dasn't go near me house or Maura anymore."

And with that, Jane stormed away leaving Maria hurling insults at her broad back. Jane was already in a foul mood and the day had barely begun.

_Damn lass has nay idea what she`s talkin' about!  
><em>Jane strode back into the village and found Barry, Anna and the children scrubbing down their house together, she tried to curb her anger and greeted them all gruffly but not rudely.

"Is Tommy here helpin'? Haven`t seen th' lad yet."

"Aye he be, wi' a big fat nose an' bruised jaw," Barry and Jane snickered together before Anna interrupted them, "Honestly Jane, I fail to see why your brother's injuries are so amusing to you and my husband."

Barry sobered quickly at his wife's accusing tone and Jane looked miffed but grunted sheepishly, Anna was the only woman who was able to question and order Jane and get away with it.

"Mam if ye knew what he had them injuries on his face fer ye`d probably laugh too."

"No I don't think I would," She said sternly.

Barry smirked and tried to hide his smile as Jane glared at him.

"No ye probably wouldna."

Anna went back to cleaning her house and Barry just laughed.

"Shut up Barry," She smiled and punched him playfully on the arm, her bad mood fading.

"I need t' go clean up quickly, I be back t' help, then I be havin' a proposition fer you."

Barry raised a dark eyebrow in interest but Jane walked away in the direction of her house.

She strode into her bathroom, grabbed the soap and headed out to the overflowing creek in the back yard; she did not have the time or motivation to fill her bath and glanced around quickly before pulling off her leather boots and dumping them on the grass. She hastily pulled her shirt from her breaches, unbuttoned it and yanked it off getting flustered when a sleeve got stuck around her elbow. She threw her shirt on top her boots and strode closer to the bank before undoing her belt, taking her cutlass and pistols off, shucking her breaches and diving into the freezing morning water. She surfaced and swam in place with goose bumps all over her skin. It was refreshing and energizing and Jane found the bottom with her toes before scrubbing herself from top to bottom with soap. She swam around lazily for a while spraying water from her mouth like a whale before climbing out and striding into the house to change into fresh clothes and dry her tangled locks. Running a brush through them briefly, she tied them back and headed back down to the village to get all dirty once more.

**J&M**

Maura woke early and enjoyed her morning on the cliff despite her run in with the captain the night before, she found she was worried for her because of her injuries and wondered if she had fixed her hand before scolding herself. She should not care about Jane, the pirate had done nothing but bring her grief since she had been kidnapped, if she wanted to go around and bust up her hands that was her problem. Maura felt guilty for her thoughts she wasn't usually harsh and uncaring but the woman didn't make it easy for Maura to be kind.

She sat and watched the specs that were villagers walk around through the village, they were awake quite early this morning and Maura was interested to know what was going on but she had to wait for Vince to bring her breakfast and go with her. She had grown used to Vince and his company, he was actually a nice man, but Maura wished she would be able to explore alone and go wherever she wished. She stood and brushed off her dress before walking around to the top of the incline hoping to spot Vince. However, she spotted Jane striding through the gardens, down the steps on the way to the village. She sighed and decided to go down to the gardens since Jane was not there. Only some of the debris had been cleaned up and the ground was still damp and muddy and earthy smelling steam was starting to rise, it was going to be a warm day. Maura sat down by the fountain and trailed her fingers through the cool water absentmindedly. It was peaceful here, birds called loudly through the trees, and she caught sight of a flock of small bright ones but didn't know what species they were. Vince came down the steps of Jane's veranda behind Maura and she turned upon hearing him.

"Good mornin' Maura, what be ye doin' down here?"

"Hello Vince, I just felt like going for a bit of a stroll while I waited for you."

He chuckled, "I dasn't mind jus' dasn't let Jane be seein' you."

"Oh I won't, trust me." And Vince laughed again and sat a glass of coconut juice and a bowl of mixed fruit down on the fountain. He then went back into the house and returned with buttered toast and the same meal for himself.

"Thought we would eat together this mornin', hope ye dasn't mind."

"No not at all, I eat breakfast with my fath…my father all the time," She went quiet and looked away trying to blink back tears. Vince was not unsympathetic just at a loss as to what to say.

"Come on eat up," He spoke quietly, "Then we can go fer a walk."

Maura wiped her tears and they ate in companionable silence then Vince took the utensils back to Jane's house and they walked down to the village together. He took Maura to his house and she sat on the porch stairs to watch the villagers cleaning their houses, she wanted to be a part of something even though none of them spoke to her. A scraggy old dog walked up behind Maura and sniffed her back and she got a fright before realizing it was just a dog. She went down the steps and lay at Maura's feet and Vince told her it was his dog. Maura sat watching the cleaning idly patting the dogs tangled fur. Jane's crew were all sweating and the woman struggled with large pails of water they brought from a part of the creek that was closest to the village. Maura found herself wanting to help somehow, it was turning quite hot and all these people would be exhausted by the end of the day.

"Is there anything I can do to help Vince?"

"You want t' help?" Vince was baffled.

"Yes it looks like hard work."

"I dasn't think ere or Jane fer that matter would like yer help."

"Why not?" Maura felt slightly insulted.

"Their pride won`t allow 't, they won`t take help from someone like ye lass. I'm surprised Anna did th' other day, I be expectin' her t' say nay."

Maura sighed and changed the subject, "What is your dog's name?"

"Elsie."

"Hello Elsie girl," Maura said to the dog and it beat its tail rhythmically on the dirt path.

"Would it be okay if I took her down to the beach for a walk?"

"Aye that would be good, she hasn`t had much movement lately. Ye go ahead wi' th' lass', I will catch up wi' ye in a minute."

"Are you sure? I don't want you to get in trouble from the caption."

Vince just chuckled, "It be okay lass I will only be wee minutes, I actually be havin' t' talk t' th' captain."

"Okay," Maura said in hesitation before standing.

"Just call her', she will follow you."

Maura called Elsie and for an old dog, she was surprisingly quick and agile. She walked with Elsie beside her to the fork in the path then turned to head towards the beach. A few pirates stopped their cleaning to watch her suspiciously, as she passed but none of them said anything. Elsie was being good staying beside Maura until they reached the sand, then she shot off along the beach and Maura panicked, "Elsie come back!" She shouted but the dog ignored her and went crashing into the water. Maura sighed and looked back up into the village for Vince but couldn't see him so she started walking down the beach towards the now swimming dog.

"Elsie come back here now!" The dog continued to ignore her and swam in happy circles and Maura stomped her foot in impatience.

_At least she isn't running off further down the beach _Maura consoled herself and moved up away from the water to sit on the softer sand to wait for Vince. However, it was not Vince that strode across the beach towards Maura but Jane. She stiffened noticeably and tilted her chin up trying to steal herself to confront the pirate. Jane stopped by her side and whistled loudly to Elsie who instantly obeyed and came flying out of the water, shaking drops all over the two of them. Maura squealed and shielded herself with her arms.

"Elsie ye stupid mutt," Jane grumbled. The dog just stared at Jane with its tongue lolling from the side of her mouth and Jane rolled her eyes.

"Where is Vince? He said he would catch up to me after he spoke to you."

"Well I'm here now, keepin' an eye on ye so ye dasn't do anythin' dumb."

Maura's anger flared but she kept her mouth closed and instead looked out over the water. Jane had actually come to the beach not only to keep an eye on Maura but mainly to judge whether her awareness of the woman had disappeared now she had spent most of the night screwing a whore. So far, it had not helped and Jane felt like swearing loudly. She held out her hand to Maura and she looked up warily before taking Jane's warm hand and Jane pulled her up with such force that they nearly collided and she glared up at her before calling to Elsie and continuing her walk on the beach.

"And jus' 'ere do ye think yer goin'?" Jane called out mildly annoyed.

"I'm going walking captain, what I came down here to do."

Jane grumbled and caught up with some long strides. They walked in uneasy silence for a while until Maura recognized the log she had sat on with Jane's sketchbook but she kept walking and Jane followed with ease, hands clasped behind her back. It was hot and Maura's skin was flushed from the sun and she panted lightly with each step, Jane was sweating but nowhere near short of breath. They drew nearer to the end of the beach where the rugged cliffs began and Maura looked up shielding her eyes and thought that her spot on the cliff must be up there somewhere. Seagulls and other varieties of birds nested on overhangs and brought their young fish from the ocean. Maura turned to the water and wished desperately for the chance to swim, it was perfect weather.

"Do you swim here?" She kept her eyes on the water, not Jane as she came to stand too close beside Maura.

"No, nay unless I want t' get eaten by a shark."

"Oh that doesn't sound too good."

Jane actually chuckled and Maura looked up to her, "You should laugh more it suits you," She said sincerely. Maura had a habit of saying strange things or things at the wrong time, but with Jane, she was even more awkward. Jane glanced down at her with an unreadable expression and Maura flushed and looked away out to the water once more.

"I think I will go back now."

Jane merely nodded and turned away and Maura followed her, they were both too aware of each others presence, movements, scents and it was distracting, confusing and frustrating for both of them because they did not know what it meant. As they reached the village, Jane turned back to Maura.

"What do ye want t' do?" Maura was shocked the pirate was actually giving her a choice and stared at her in confusion.

"Well?"  
>Maura jumped at the chance before it was taken from her, "I would like to swim, its hot today."<p>

Jane raised an eyebrow, "Follow me then."

Maura did all the while wondering at this change in the pirate, she didn't understand her mood swings at all. Nevertheless, she followed Jane to Barry's house and Jane found Anna and asked if she could take the children swimming. They all jumped around and squealed in excitement and Anna could not deny them on this hot day.

"Not all day Jane, they have their learnings to continue."

"Aye."

"Hello Maura," Anna said and she was surprised the woman remembered her name and said hello in the first place.

"Hello Anna, how are you?"

"Good."

"You two be havin' met? How?"

"Maura helped me plant seeds before they were washed away, she wanted to help."

Jane glanced down at Maura then back at Anna but said nothing.

"Well rats be ye ready t' swim?"

"Yes!" they chorused.

"Let's move then."

Jane picked up the two boys and put one on each shoulder and Abby took Maura's hand.

"You take care of my children Jane Rizzoli," Anna warned and Jane nodded, "Always do."

"You're Italian?" Maura chimed in awkwardly.

"Aye," Jane supplied before walking away leaving Maura and Abby to follow.

_Well that explains her dark coloring._

They reached the creek and the twins squirmed to get off Jane's shoulders, she let them down and the three of them barreled into the creek. It was then Maura realized she didn't have suitable bathing attire and would have to go without.

"I can't wear this," She mumbled to herself.

"What?"

"Oh I can't wear this, it isn't suitable."

Jane just rolled her eyes, "Come wi' me. Kids we be back soon."

Maura followed Jane nervously into the house to her bedroom where Jane lifted the lid of the chest at the end of her bed as if it was made of paper. She rummaged around for a while until she pulled out a brown pair of cotton breaches and a blue cotton pullover shirt and tossed them on her bed.

"Change in here, I'll be outside," And with that, she left closing the door.

Maura eyed the clothes with suspicion and lifted the shirt to get a better look. Both the pieces were smaller than Jane and she wondered whose clothes they were. She changed quickly, the clothing fit her well, perhaps too well, for her ample breasts pressed firmly against the cotton, and the neckline hung open low. Maura looked down at her appearance and grimaced.

_It's okay Maura you will be in the water, no one will see you._

She hesitantly made her way outside, down the steps and towards the creek. Jane was sitting on the grass and turned as Maura came close and her eyes flew immediately to Maura's breasts straining against the thin material. Jane's groin clenched fiercely and she groaned quietly. Her eyes roamed over the rest of Maura's body before Abby squealed in the creek and broke Jane's study. She swallowed heavily and stood up avoiding looking at Maura; Maura had not seen Jane watching her and went to stand in front of her on the bank. She dipped her toes and the water was cool and inviting. She looked over her shoulder at Jane intending to ask her if it was okay if she went in and caught the pirate staring darkly at her backside. Maura's breath hitched and her cheeks began to heat up, the way Jane was staring at her was almost savage and Maura suddenly felt giddy and weak. It should have bothered and disgusted her the way Jane was staring at her backside, Maura felt that way when Tommy or any of the other pirates stared inappropriately but Jane's gaze only made her tremble slightly with excitement. She didn't understand why her body was reacting the way it did around Jane, but she wished she did so she could make it stop. Jane glanced up to Maura's face and realized she had been caught staring and they gazed at each other as a palatable tension flowed between them. Jane broke the gaze first and coughed roughly before pulling off her black boots and striding past Maura into the creek. Maura swallowed thickly and watched Jane dive underwater before resurfacing further out and grabbing one of the twins.

_She did not even apologize to me!_


	35. Chapter 35

**Chapter Thirty-Five**

Maura wadded into the water to cool her overheated body and Liam came up to her and splashed her before giggling, Maura laughed and splashed him back and Abby swam over to join in. By the time they finished Maura was saturated and she sunk down into the water and swam out deeper. Jane noticed her and went under before surfacing closer to Maura and she watched her nervously. Jane was acting different with her today and she didn't know how to act accordingly, Maura wondered if Jane even realized she was acting different, she could not deny how good looking she was and felt conflicted because she had never taken this much notice of a female before. Of course, she had seen many beautiful women and admired their beauty but this was something different when she looked at Jane. It went deeper and Maura was dumbfounded.

Abby swam up to them and wrapped her arms around Jane's neck from behind and Jane snorted playfully before ducking under water with Abby, they came up further away and Maura sighed in relief at Jane's distance. She swam back to shallow water and just bobbed around cooling off. The water was so refreshing and Thomas and Liam paddled over to her, "Will you give us a piggy back please?" Thomas asked hopefully.

Maura cocked her head to the side in confusion, "What's a piggy back?"

The twins looked at Maura and giggled, "You put us on your back silly." Liam stated.

"Oh."

"Like this lass," Jane interrupted and Maura turned to find Jane close behind her. She gulped, as Jane looked her over heatedly once more before wadding around her and picking up Liam and tossing him over her shoulders. Maura had a hard time trying to keep her eyes off the outline of Jane's strong shoulders through the wet material, she had not known of a woman as strong as Jane, women in Boston where all like her delicate and feminine but Jane was the complete opposite.

"This be a piggy back."

Maura snapped out of her study and blushed a little before taking note of Liam on Jane's back. She wadded over to Thomas and he clasped his little arms around her neck and his legs around her waist.

"Swim Miss Maura."

She was unsure whether she would be able to hold his weight and swim at the same time but decided to try. She struggled a bit at first not used to the added weight but soon she was swimming around the creek with ease as Abby swam alongside her laughing and splashing her brother. Maura was aware of Jane's presence and her gazes the entire time and found it difficult to relax; her emotions were confusing her so she thought it time she got out and went back to the cottage, whatever this was between her and Jane made her feel guilty when she thought of Garrett. She swam a little closer to where Jane was lazing in the water, "I am going to get out now and go back to the cottage."

Jane studied her face a moment before nodding and swimming to the bank, she pulled herself out and Maura's heart rate quickened unexpectedly when she saw the outline of Jane's lean strong back and muscled buttocks as her wet clothes stuck to her, her legs were solid and long and she had to look away. She had seen many naked females in books and in the doctor's practice, all shapes and sizes. However, Maura did not feel anything when she looked at them, they were woman who shared the same body parts as she did, and it didn't fathom her. None of the pictures or patients had made her heart rate quicken and her stomach light with pleasure as Jane's body did at this moment. She was an exquisite example of female strength and beauty and Maura hadn't wanted to look away. She pulled herself out of the creek and kept her eyes averted from Jane as she strode ahead up to the veranda.

"Wait here," Maura did so and Jane returned with two towels and handed one to her. She wrapped it hastily around her body and chanced a glance at the captain, she was bent over drying her thick hair roughly and Maura watched in helpless fascination as she straightened and whipped her locks back over her head. Her hair was full, lustrous and wild.

"You have beautiful hair," She blurted before gasping in surprise and covering her mouth with her hand.

_God heavens what I cannot seem to control my thoughts or words around you!_

"So do ye," Jane spoke gruffly and Maura looked away blushing, it was the first nice thing Jane had said about her.

Jane was frustrated by her growing inability to remain in control of herself around Maura, the woman was annoying and Jane had no idea why one minute she was furious with her then the next, staring at her and wanting to be around her more. Her emotions were up and down and Jane was perplexed because no woman had ever had this effect on her before, not even the ones she thought she had loved when she was young and naive. She hated not being in control and Maura was beginning to take it from her without force or effort. Jane did not want to admit to herself that she was at the very least sexually attracted to the uppity woman, but then she had been to countless females. But not like this. It may only be the start but Jane knew it was somehow different. And she didn't like it, not one ounce. Again, her mood turned sour and she needed to get away from Maura, hell the woman had even gotten her to use her name, something she never did with her captives.

"Go an' get changed then go back t' th' cottage," She said gruffly before walking back down to the children.

Maura did as she was told and went back to the cottage but she took her time enjoying the surroundings and the breeze on her damp skin. When she got back to the cottage, she lay down with the intention to read but instead fell asleep until late afternoon. What she did not know was that when she awoke Jane had left the island.

**J&M**

Jane had watched Barry's kids swim for a while more than rounded them up and took them back home. She remained in her damp clothes as it helped to keep her cool as she went back to helping the villagers clean their houses. She worked until she was sweating heavily, determined to work her confusing moods out of her system. By mid afternoon, they all stopped to have a break and Jane found Barry sitting under the shade of a tree drinking water, she sat down next to him and scabbed some of his water.

"So," She said after drinking over two pints straight, "About this proposition. Ye know we wern`t goin' t' find more crew fer Orpheus until we had finished cleanin' th' ships but we be behind on that an' I need t' get off this damn island fer awhile. You want t' sail wi' me t' Havana this afternoon an' get some crew or stay here? Once we get thar we`ll only be stayin' a couple days ye know we ain`t too welcome thar." She chuckled.

"Aye that`s true but thar t'ain't any houses fer other pirates here, none o' us be expectin' another ship."

"They can sleep on Orpheus until we build them houses, if none o' them like th' sound o' that they dasn't be havin' t' join us."

"Why ye wantin' t' be leavin' so soon? Haven`t been back long."

Barry had an idea as to what might be bothering the captain but wanted to see if she would elaborate. However, Jane did not have an answer to give him that would make any sense all she knew was that she needed some time out, which was something she did not usually need.

"Just want to," She said in a tone that brooked no argument and Barry did not pry further. He knew it was something to do with Maura, but wouldn't tell Jane that he could tell something was different about her.

"I'll sail wi' ye then, we takin' half th' crew?"  
>"Thanks. Yes half th' crew an' Tommy, as much as I dasn't want t' be seein' th' wee prick I dasn't want th' lad here wi' Maura. Vince an' Frankie can stay here."<p>

Barry nodded as this made sense, and took note of the fact that she had used Maura's name.

"Can I leave ye t' round ou' who wants t' go while I talk t' Tommy? An' find Maria an' tell th' lass' if she wants t' leave tell her t' get t' th' docks. "

"Aye captain I will get t' it."

Barry stood up and began to walk away, "And Barry? Thanks fer holdin' me back from Tommy."

"'Tis all good."

Jane stood and went to her brother's house on the outskirts of the village, once she arrived, she knocked loudly on the door until she heard Tommy snarling that he was coming, but she didn't let up knocking until he opened the door.

"Goddammit what be it," He shouted before realizing who it was. Jane looked at his swollen, bruised nose and cut jaw with satisfaction, she also took note of his wet clothes and was glad he had been helping clean otherwise she would have kicked his arse again.

"Get ready t' go t' Havana this afternoon Tommy, goin' t' round up some crew."

"Oh fuckin' brilliant, change in women," He grunted happily.

"Aye. Don`t be long an' meet us down th' ship."

"Jane I'm sorry fer sayin' what I said about Maura an' ye. Maura be a right nice lady." Jane glared back at him suspiciously; it wasn't like Tommy to say sorry for anything.  
>"What be ye up to?"<p>

"God nothin', canna I jus' say sorry?"

Jane spat, "Alright but jus' stay away from Maura." She left and Tommy rolled his eyes in frustration.


	36. Chapter 36

**Chapter Thirty-Six**

Jane, Barry, Tommy and half the crew met up on the dock near Spiritus just over an hour later and cook had already loaded supplies for the three-day journey to Havana, Cuba. They all spent another hour preparing for sail then the pirates wives went down to the beach to say goodbye to their men before Jane took hold of the wheel and they set sail out of the cove, unfortunately, for Jane Maria had chosen to stay on the island. It was smooth sailing all the way and they arrived just off Havana after three solid days. Jane let down anchor out of sight of the island and the main shipping port and climbed the mast to take down the flag and replace it with the Spanish coat of arms. They would be able to remain here out of the main shipping waters without too much suspicion with a Spanish flag as long as they did not venture too close. Jane, Barry, and Tommy would be the only ones to go ashore under the cover of night; they had done this many times before and knew their way around Havana like the backs of their hands. Jane jumped down into the crow's nest, took the spyglass from Bronson, and scanned the coast thoroughly in the dusk before climbing down the mast and landing with a heavy thud to the deck. The three of them set out late in the night after sleeping and were alert and rested, they wore all black, including their cotton shirts and Jane rowed them the hour it took to get to shore. They pushed up onto a secluded beach and Jane took a few moments to gather herself before nodding to Barry and Tommy and heading up the beach into the heavily forested jungle.

It was dark and damp, and all sorts of night creatures called out to each other. They heard the guttural growl of a leopard and all stilled immediately hands on their pistols. All three of them wore a sword, an extra dagger and ammunition belt tucked under their black leather jackets in case Spanish guards ambushed them. They were skilled and highly dangerous but stood waiting for the leopard to move on even though they could not see it in the darkness. Once Jane was sure it had moved away they resumed walking through the jungle on the narrow overgrown path. They were perspiring in the sultry, windless night as they came to the outskirts of the east side of the city. It was relatively quiet this late at night and the moon was a thin slither in the sky, which served them well as it was harder to see them. They walked leisurely through the dusty streets so as not to draw unwanted attention from the townspeople who were still up late. It was a poor city, filled with an array of pastel-colored cement and brick houses with tiled roofs, most were double story with wide verandas and lattice overflowing with bright lush flowers. Palm trees, grass and flowers flowed untamed through the city and shabby markets filled every square. Jane enjoyed coming to Havana, as the Spanish were a colorful, passionate people who loved to sing, dance, play music, drink and make love. What she looked forward to most though was sampling some of the local women and stocking up on Cuban cigars and rum.

No one paid them any attention as they made their way through the city, choosing paths and alleyways that were not guarded. Jane tapped Barry's shoulder and he stopped. They waited in the shadows of a house and examined their go to bar cross the wide street. They waited fifteen minutes to make sure there were no guards coming or going before creeping towards the outdoor courtyard bar, it was sandwiched between three buildings one on either side and at the back and the roof was made of lattice covered with red and yellow hibiscus. As they approached, they heard the rowdy patrons and strains of romantic music and Jane doubled checked the area before striding in as if she owned the place, walked straight up to the bar and slapped her open palm upon it. A short skinny man turned around hollering Spanish obscenities until he realized whom he was hollering at and began jumping in excitement.

"Oh hola, hola senorita Jane!" He danced around in circles and Jane chuckled at him.

"Oh mucho tiempo que no nos vemos, cómo estás?" He was smiling from ear to ear and grabbed Jane's hand shaking it vigorously. She let him have his fun before gently extracting her hand and raising an eyebrow at the little man, "I'm sorry Miguel I be havin' nay idea what th' hell ye jus' said."

Miguel's face dropped sadly, "Oh Jane you still no learn Spanish yet?"

"I tried," She supplied shrugging her shoulders. Barry just scoffed and sat down on a stool. Tommy remained standing already eying off the dancers.

"Aaa Senor Barry how are you?"

"I be fine, an' how be ye?"

"Oh you know me good, always good, always happy," he giggled, "It's been a long time no? I think maybe seven or eight months?"

"Aye that sounds about right." Jane said before the three of them caught up on each others business over shots of rum. Miguel was Jane's go to man for crew and supplies, he had been for years and they trusted each other without doubt as she did Barry and Vince. She let him know what they were after and as they spoke, she kept her eye on the patrons and dancers around the bar. One of the Spanish dancers had caught her interest and Jane watched her brazenly as she swayed seductively to the flamenco guitars the musicians strummed. The woman had noticed Jane's attention and was giggling and teasing Jane as she shook her buttocks and breasts and Jane growled low in her throat before finishing with Miguel. Both Barry and her had their own separate rough accommodation supplied by Miguel that they had purchased together, and Tommy bunked with Barry but he had already left the bar with two of the dancers. Jane nodded to Barry then stood up to approach the woman. As she saw Jane coming the woman flashed a cheeky smile and darted from Jane's reach, red skirt flying around her legs. They played the game of cat and mouse for a while until Jane had the woman backed in front of an empty table. She stepped up to her and wordlessly pulled her into strong arms, the woman had eyes as dark as Jane's but more seductive and she pushed her lower half suggestively into Jane. Jane swung her out to the dance space and she danced aggressively and passionately over the captain while Jane danced more somberly. The woman gyrated her hips against her and the patrons were cheering them happily, as Jane led the woman from the bar. As soon as they got to Jane's safe house, the woman reached up for Jane and took the lead, kissing her passionately. Jane reciprocated, the woman moaned, and she suddenly thought of Maura. She pushed the woman away, furious Maura had entered into her mind at such a time. Jane roared at the woman to leave and she started to cry before rushing out of the house. She swore loudly before going to find the rum she stocked in the kitchen.

**J&M**

Maura learned that Jane had left her island not until the next morning over breakfast with Vince. The two of them were slowly forming and unlikely friendship, Maura felt like Vince was a sort of surrogate father figure while Vince found Maura's intelligence and kindness refreshing, he had not known someone like her before and found he was beginning to form a soft spot for her. Vince had explained to Maura that Jane had gone to Havana to hire new crew members for Orpheus and would be away at least a week. Maura didn't know whether to be relieved or troubled by this news. She found she was mostly relieved but there was also a small part of her that was upset that the captain would not be here to spend time with her. This was the part of herself she was frustrated with and tried to pretend didn't exist, she was also a little upset the captain had left without saying goodbye then mentally chastised herself harshly.

_Well of course, she would not say goodbye to you, it is not as if we are friends, you are her prisoner!_

Vince knew there was something bothering her because she had not paid the slightest bit of attention to what he had just been saying.

"Maura?"

She started at looked at Vince guilty realizing she hadn't been paying attention.

"I'm sorry Vince what did you say?"

"Neremind 't wasn`t important, what be th' matter?"

Maura wished he hadn't asked that question because she couldn't lie and was mortified at the thought of telling him anything about Jane so she decided to try deflecting the question.

"Nothing I can't handle I will be okay later. Would you mind if I could see more of the island today?"

Vince just shook his head, "God ye be as stubborn as she is."

"She?"

"Jane."

Maura was suitably chafed, "I am not as stubborn as that pirate at all."

"If ye say so. Ye be havin' already got her doin' things she dasn't do."  
>"I don't know what you're talking about."<p>

"She be usin' yer name fer one, Jane dasn't use th' prisoners names, nerehas. Yer stubbornness must been better than hers fer that t' happen, when Jane gets somethin' in th' her head she dasn't budge fer anyone or anythin'."

"That wasn't stubbornness that was persistence, and I know longer wish to have this discussion."

Vince rolled his eyes and took their empty plates and mugs back to Jane's kitchen.

Maura was at a loss about how to take the information Vince had just given her, she didn't want to think about it, stood up, and walked around the gardens until Vince returned.

"Where would ye like t' go?"

_Home, I would like to go home._

"Can you show me some of the jungle?"

"Afraid nay lass, 'tis too dangerous Jane would roast me alive if I took ye in there."

"Jane Rizzoli does not own me." She was getting testy again.

"While ye be on th' captain`s land she does."

Maura sighed in frustration then looked at Vince sadly. "I'm sorry Vince I'm just frustrated, I want to go home."

He smiled gently at her, "Forget 't. Besides if ye two keep goin' th' way ye be Jane will probably go crazy an' move her plans t' take ye homeport forward."

Maura was about to protest, she had not been behaving in any way, but then stopped herself. That was it! If she could somehow drive Jane crazy in a way that she would not cop too much of her wrath perhaps Jane would indeed take her home earlier than she had intended. It was a long shot but worth a try, and it gave her hope that she had not possessed before this moment. Vince could practically see Maura's mind working, "I didna mean that literally Maura, dasn't be gettin' any ideas, ye will only make things worse fer yersef."

"But…"

"But nothin', I be only jokin', ye will regret pushin' her."

"Okay," She sighed, "Can we go for a walk now?"

"Aye."

Maura said nothing more about the subject but that did not mean she wasn't still thinking about it.


	37. Chapter 37

**Chapter Thirty-Seven**

Early the next morning before the sun had risen Jane met up with Barry, Tommy, and the three of them made their way quietly back to the boat and back out to Spiritus. Jane would move Spiritus to another location and the three of them would take it easy until night returned, by then Miguel would have had a whole day to fish out pirates looking for a ship to work aboard. The three of them would then sort out the diamonds from the rocks and take only the most experienced in sailing, fighting and weaponry. Jane was in a foul mood still and spent the day alone in her cabin not wishing to be disturbed by anyone; she kept herself busy getting shipping manifests and paperwork up to date until she could not sit still any longer and went to eat an early dinner. They set out again late at night and she rowed them ashore once more. Jane had been distracted since last night and did not realize she was making a grave mistake because if she had been paying closer attention to her surroundings as she usually did she would have at least felt or noticed something was not right. She would have paid attention to what her senses were trying to tell her, and that was that they were being followed and watched. Jack and Benjamin had the good fortune of being in the right place at the right time and Jack Thatch's luck had been increasing exponentially ever since Charles Vane's hanging and he was immensely happy the bastard was dead. Since that fateful old day the captain had swung, Jack had begun to think big. He found he was not satisfied just walking away and leaving all the spoils to Jane and was mighty angry that Orpheus had fallen into her hands and even more furious that she would get the payout for the bitch she had kidnapped. He had been under Charles Vane's orders and had helped Jane against his better judgment. But now he was watching the two Rizzoli's and Barry Frost snooping through the streets of Havana and had thought to himself why the fuck not. Yes the tables were turning and would continue to turn until he had what he wanted, Orpheus, Maura's coin and Jane Rizzoli's head on a pike. All he had to do was wait for Jane to finish her business and then follow the bitch back to her hideout, then he would take great pleasure in torturing her, killing her, before 'rescuing' Maura and taking her home to daddy. He would bargain his way to riches and would be the proud owner of two ships. he had already stolen a ship back in Boston to make his way to Havana for other business but since finding Jane Rizzoli he had convinced his crew to go after her and get back what was taken from them plus much more. He was not going to let that pussy fuck woman make a fool of him and made plans to hunt her down and take his revenge, it was as though the sea gods were agreeing with his injustices and granting him the opportunity to seek his revenge. He was currently the new captain of a beautiful brig called Sonata, which they had repainted and renamed Devil's Due.

Now that he had so easily stumbled upon the pirate heading into a house last night Jack had sent two of his smartest men to hire the toughest, most savage pirates they could find, he was not taking any chances now that he had found Jane. Jack and Benjamin followed the duo from a distance to a rundown neglected warehouse along the waterfront, remained outside in the darkness until they emerged roughly three hours later, and headed back the way they had come from. They followed them until the three had disappeared into thick forest and watched over the next few hours as groups of men in twos and threes came from the city and headed into the forest, they were hard looking men and Jack knew he had made the right decision in hiring more pirates himself. It would be a fierce fight when the time came but he would be ready and he and his men would be the ones to be victorious. Jack and Benjamin slipped away stealthily to Devil's Due and sailed around the cove to await Jane's sailing. He had painted the hull black, the sails were black and there were no lanterns lit anywhere aboard the ship, his crew was not even allowed to smoke. Any bit of light could potentially give them away at night and during the day they would have to drift back right out of sight of keen eyes. But the sea gods were still in Jack's favor and they made the three-day journey to Jane's hideout without being spotted. It was time to take what was his.

**J&M**

Jane and the heavily laden ship of new crew members made it back to Hermes late afternoon on the third day of sailing, Miguel had done his part of finding Jane crew members and she was well satisfied with her choice of pirates and impressed when they were tested on their various skills in the warehouse in Havana. Now she was docked at her island and her, Barry let down the boarding plank, and she stepped off the ship.

She hollered loudly to get all the pirates attention, "Alright men this be me island. Feel free t' wonder around but stay away from three things, me house, th' cottage on th' hill an' a lass by th' name o' Maura. If I be seein' any o' ye near her without me permission ye will regret 't I swear on me mother`s grave," She said sternly.

"Tomorrow mornin' all o' us will get a start on buildin' houses fer ye all, until then as ye know ye be stayin' in th' ship. If ye want, ye can stay on Orpheus. Okay I be off."

The new crew cheered Jane as she strode down the dock and they began leaving the ship. Jane knew there would be some confrontations between the men adjusting and working out their own order of things but it was normal and expected. As long as there was a general respect between them, they worked well as a group, under pressure and did not let petty issues between them dictate outcomes Jane would be pleased. She strode up to her house with two sacks of her belongings over each shoulder including her cigars and rum courtesy of Miguel. As she strode through her gardens she found herself glancing up at the cottage briefly looking for a sight of Maura and got angry when she realized what she was doing, however, she had been on edge on the return trip home and had spent quite a bit of time pacing restlessly around her cabin or above deck. But she never got restless like this to return home, there was an excitement in her stomach that she was not used to and could only attribute it to being able to see the woman again, for that was the only difference on her island, Maura's presence. Dropping the sacks of goods in her ship room she pulled out a wooden box of cigars, took one out, cut, lit it, and breathed deeply of the spicy smoke. Jane set about getting herself a bath ready and after lazing in it for over an hour, had dinner and retired for an early night; she needed to catch up on her sleep in order to be ready for building tomorrow.

**J&M**

Maura had been sitting atop the cliff in the comforting afternoon sun reading one of Jane's books when Spiritus had sailed into the cove. She was concentrating wholly upon the book, which to her delight was all about medicine, and different natural remedies, she had stumbled upon it in Jane's study the day before when she had asked Vince if she could borrow more books. She had not noticed Spiritus sail in and dock and gasped with surprise as she glanced up to rest her eyes for a bit. A nervous agitation settled in her stomach from the thought of being able to see the captain again and against her will she searched out the small figures hoping for a glimpse of Jane but they were all too small to distinguish. She stood up, brushed off her dress and went to the top of the incline just in time to catch Jane striding across the gardens. Her breath hitched as she watched and Jane glanced her way a few times but it was apparent she didn't see her. As Jane went into her house Maura suddenly wrestled with the idea of going down to see her, perhaps to welcome her back but decided against it, she knew if the captain wanted to see her she would come up to the cottage. As it turned out the captain did not want to see her, and Maura fell asleep late that night feeling unexplainably sad.


	38. Chapter 38

**Chapter Thirty-Eight**

Jack had been watching the cove through his spyglass later on that afternoon and had decided on a change of plans. He had anchored Devil's Due behind the mountains outside of the cove and rowed over to the steep bluff alone making his way precariously around the base of the rocky bluff on foot until panting and sweating heavily he made it inside the cove. He found a well-forested area to crouch and hide in and opened up his spyglass. Getting comfortable, he made a meticulous study of the docks and the layout of the island and to his glee recognized Maura standing high atop a sheer cliff. He watched her until she disappeared from view and instead studied the quaint cottage. It appeared that she was housed apart from all the others and this was in Jack's favor. He studied the island until it became too dark to see then stumbled back to the boat and being on the other side of the cliffs, he was now able to light a lamp. He thought about his options as he rowed back to his ship and once aboard he let all his men know of the two choices they had. Go in quiet and kidnap Maura or go in loud and fighting. Many of his men lent towards loud and fighting but it was ultimately his decision and he chose quiet and stealthy. The men grumbled and started to become angry but he soothed them by telling them they would sail into the cove in the still of the early morning and a few of them would go ashore to kidnap the woman. The rest would remain on the ship but close enough to fight if things didn't go as expected and with the thought that they may still get their bloodshed the men were tied over. As soon as Jack and his men had taken Maura, they would hunt down Jane and catch her in her sleep, he could then take immense joy in torturing her aboard Devil's Due before leaving her still alive for the sharks. Hell he thought with mirth, he might even make Maura watch just for sport. With the plan settled, he picked out the men he wanted to go ashore with himself and then told them all to get themselves ready and to be well rested. They would strike at around two in the morning, the hour when sleep was deepest.

**J&M**

Jane awoke with a start early in the morning and clutched her pistol that was on her bedside table. She was sweating lightly and instinctively knew something wasn't right and she never went against her instincts when she sensed danger. But for the past few days now, her instincts had been clouded due to her anger and confusion over Maura. She had also been preoccupied with her new crew by watching them work aboard Spiritus to determine who was best at what task. Jane lay on her back and tuned out the sounds that were a normal part of the night and listened instead for sounds that did not belong. She heard nothing unusual however, the unease in her stomach continued to increase. She tossed back the covers quietly and stood up completely naked. Without lighting a lamp, she dressed quickly and quietly before grabbing her dagger. Jane went to the door and creaked it open silently to listen and watch for anything out of the ordinary. Nothing was amiss so she prowled outside and down the front steps of the veranda, ducking down behind the fountain to study what she could, but the light of the moon was obscured by heavy clouds. She grunted softly and remained at the fountain for some time and was about to move on into the village when she caught the faintest flicker of light up on the cliff from the corner of one dark eye. She snapped her head up and minutes passed but there was no more light, she was starting to believe she had imagined the light but the disquieting feeling in her stomach would not let up. Instead of going to the village, Jane made the decision to first check around the cottage. Quiet as a ghost she stalked across the gardens and up the incline staying in the darkest shadows she could find. She held her heavy pistol loaded and cocked in her right hand the entire time, and her left on the razor sharp dagger at her side. As she neared the top of the incline, she saw a flash of light from under the cottage door and dropped quietly to the dirt. Straining her ears, she listened for movement inside and heard quiet shuffling and then a muffled scream. The hairs on the back of her neck stood on end immediately and a suffocating rage replaced the unease in her stomach. Someone was in the cottage with Maura and she had a pretty good idea it was one of the new crew members. Jane stood up, made her way onto the porch, and lent against the wall beside the door. She put her ear to the wall and upon hearing gruff muted voices, panic mixed with fury and she trembled from it. Jane straightened, stood in front of the door and with one hard, violent kick busted it in, gun pointed in front of her as she charged into the cottage. It was pitch black and a harsh voice filled the cabin, "Do nay come any closer or I will break th' lass`s arm."

Jane was momentarily stunned because she recognized the voice, before her rage came slamming back even stronger.

"Jack." She growled out.

He chuckled a wicked cackle and Jane heard Maura moaning in fear but her voice was still muffled.

"Aye glad t' be seein' ye haven`t forgotten me."

"What th' fuck do ye want?" She hissed angrily.

"Now, now be that any way t' speak t' me? I think nay."

Jack had just finished speaking before Jane felt the slightest breeze whoosh across her face and in an instant, she dropped to the floor barely escaping a meaty fist that would have knocked her out cold. She kicked out violently, her booted foot hit something bony, and man shrieked deeply before falling to the floor. Jane knew where everything in the cottage was situated even though it was dark and she crawled across the floor to crouch beside the bed when she heard Maura moan in pain sending chills down her spine.

"Fuck! Jane that wasn`t very smart o' ye. Ever' fuckin' time ye do somethin' stupid I shall be havin' t' hurt th' woman."

The man Jane had dropped continued to moan on the floor and Jack snarled at him to shut up.

"She broke me goddamn knee." He gritted through clenched teeth.

"Fuckin' put up wi' it." Jack snarled.

Jane had been listening to the direction of Jack's voice and knew he was beside the desk close to Maura, and suspected she was pinned up against him with his hand over her mouth, it was clear to Jane now the bastard wanted Maura and she was confident he would not kill her. A different voice spoke up close to Jane and she tensed even more.

"Go ahead captain, take th' lass ou' o' th' cottage, Jane won`t be goin' anywhere." That was all Jane needed to hear, she knew the man would come for her, so she sprawled on the floorboards and rolled under the bed but wasn't quick enough and a dagger sliced deeply through the side of her thigh and she hissed in pain. But she kept rolling across the floor until she was on the other side of the bed and crashed solidly into Maura's legs pushing her and Jack off balance and into the back wall. Jack was stunned for a second and let go of Maura but that was all the time Jane needed and she reached for Maura. Finding a handhold in her nightgown she pulled her roughly to the floor and whispered to her so she would know whom it was before Jane lunged for the spot she knew Jack would be. Her muscled body collided heavily with his and drove the wind out of him. It had only taken Jane about thirty seconds but that was plenty of time for the other pirate to come charging from the other side of the cottage. Jane dropped once more to the floor, and he unintentionally hit Jack square in the jaw, and Jack howled in rage. Jane pulled her dagger from her waist and lunged up sending it clean through jack's windpipe to the hilt, She pulled it out and his warm blood sprayed all over her enraged face. She heard the other pirate running from the cottage and her anger only increased.

"Stay here Maura," She whispered fiercely before she stabbed the pirate with the broken knee in the neck viciously and bolted after the other. The pain in her thigh was savage but she did her best to ignore it as she stumbled down the incline after the sound of the pirate's feet hitting the ground. She saw a large dark shadow in front of her and increased her pace, her thigh burned in pain and she groaned with the effort it took to keep running but she got within a good range, stopped and hurled her dagger at the pirates back. It hit directly between his shoulder blades with a thwacking sound and the man cried out before stumbling and falling to his knees. Jane ran to him as he began to get up and she tore the dagger from his back, pulled his head back and slit his throat from ear to ear. His blood flowed over her hands, she let him go, and he gagged and choked on his blood, falling face first to the dirt. Jane took a large gulp of air before turning and sprinting in pain back up to the cottage. She charged through the door sucking in as much air as she could as she went to where she had left Maura, the panic in her stomach settled a little as she heard Maura crying and knew she was alive but her rage just kept building.

"Maura," She rasped and heard her cry's stop before a grasping hand found the front of her shirt and Maura hurled herself at Jane's strong body. She wrapped her arms around Jane's lean waist and held tight and without having to think about it, Jane did the same.

"'Tis okay lass," She whispered gruffly into Maura's soft hair.

She let go of Maura and she whimpered in fright.

"I be havin' t' get me pistol."

Maura let Jane's warm body go reluctantly and Jane went to the drawers and lit the lamps atop them. She turned back to Maura and grunted at her pasty white skin as Maura gasped at the blood that covered Jane's face and body; she looked like a wild savage with the rage that distorted her features. After she collected her pistol, she limped back to Maura and picked her up in her arms without any resistance.

"You've been hurt," Maura whispered frightened, "Let me look please."

"There be nay time, thar be other pirates here."

Maura gasped and Jane looked down to her terrified face, "You`ll be okay, they won`t get you."

She said it with such conviction that Maura nearly believed her, but she was too terrified.

Jane walked down to the house as quick as she could on her bleeding leg and Maura protested most of the way saying she could walk but Jane would not let her down, she took Maura inside her dark house, into the ship room, and down the stairs into her cavern. She kept a torch burning each night and set Maura on her feet before pulling it off the wall.

"Come wi' me."

Maura followed Jane in the gloomy cavern down the stairs and to the left, behind a pile of stacked furniture.

"Sit down here an' dasn't leave till I come fer you."

"You're leaving me? Please don't go!" Out of fright, Maura grasped the front of Jane's shirt and wrapped her hands in the light material.

Jane tiled her head up, "I be havin' t', th' village be in danger. Sit down an' stay quiet, I be back." Jane put a large hand on Maura's shoulder and gently pushed her down to the cave floor. Quickly she grabbed a blanket off a stack and shook it out before placing it on Maura and on second thought gave her the dagger before limping away leaving her in complete darkness.

**J&M**

Jane grunted in pain as she tied a piece of material around her thigh, pulling it tightly, she then hastily put on her ammunition belts, grabbed another pistol and two cutlasses before walking as fast as she could outside and down into the village keeping her ears tuned for anything suspicious. She made it to Barry's house and went around the back to knock quietly on the door in a series of taps that let Barry know who it was. After a few moments he opened the door bare chested and blurry eyed but sobered quickly when he saw Jane's appearance.

"Good god, what th' hell be goin' on?"

"Quiet an' listen t' me. Thar be other pirates on th' island, Jack Thatch an' his men. I don't know how they found us but they be after Maura. Jacks dead as be two others an' sure as hell all his other men aren`t far away. We need t' get th' men awake an' round up. I'll go get th' new crew, ye th' old. Tell Anna t' take th' kids t' me house an' down into th' cavern if 't gets worse." She rasped before leaving Barry to get himself ready and get the others awake. Jane crept silently down through the village staying in the shadows of buildings and trees until she reached the dock and saw a monstrous shadow of a ship that was not hers sitting not far offshore. There were no lanterns lit and it appeared they had not been alerted to anything yet but Jane made her way warily and quietly to Spiritus first, then Orpheus to alert her men. Although they had stripped Orpheus they had yet got around to taking the cannons and shot from her and Jane was grateful and she told them to man the cannons, because they were going to make good use of them. She was just climbing down Orpheus's ladder to the dock when she heard wild shouting and cursing coming from the enemy ship. She jumped down, hissed from the pain, and turned to find the ships lanterns aglow. Silhouettes of angry pirates brandishing their cutlasses filled her vision as they began jumping over board and she roared as loud as she could, "Fire th' cannons now, fire god damn ye`s fire!"

Slews of pirates were jumping overboard and Jane pulled out her cutlass as the first round of cannon fire bellowed from the hull of Spiritus deafening her instantly. The cannon fire hit true and Orpheus was next to fire her cannon balls into the black enemy hull. The ship caught fire and it spread rapidly through the inner hull but they were too late, as most of the pirates had already jumped from the ship. Jane watched from the dock as they came out of the sea and rushed towards her men running down from the village.

"Men get ou' here now! Enemy pirates ashore!" She yelled to her men aboard the ships before charging along the dock and into the tangle of enraged men. She deflected and stabbed a pirate through the chest and did the same to another before she heard Barry yell her name above the roar of angry men and her now weak hearing. She looked up and saw a bunch of pirates running up the beach and into the grass, intent on getting into the village and she fought her way out of the press and raced after them. She did not feel the pain in her leg anymore and shot a look to her side to see Barry and Frankie running with her. They reached the path that lead to her house and they saw the dozen or so pirates torching the houses, women and children ran screaming in fear and a pirate aimed his pistol at a young boy and was about to pull the trigger before Jane sent her dagger flying, hitting him in the back of the neck. His pistol discharged from reflex but the aim was off and the bullet flew harmlessly into the forest. The three of them roared in unison and charged the pirates savagely, all the while Jane was unaware two had gone up to her house.


	39. Chapter 39

**Chapter Thirty-****Nine**

It felt like hours since Jane had left Maura to defend the village and Maura was running on panic mode, she huddled under the blanket and could not stop her body from trembling. She would stiffen in fear at any noise she heard for it was too dark to see even her own hand in front of her face so she had to rely on her hearing. She had been hearing scratching and squeaking noises and although she knew, it was probably rats she jumped nonetheless when she heard them.

Maura had never felt such fear when a rough hand covering her mouth and another two hands pulling her legs apart forcefully had awakened her at the cottage. Her heart had cramped painfully in her chest and she thought she was experiencing a heart attack as the man holding her thighs apart cupped her core harshly before whispering menacingly,

"If ye make a sound or try t' escape I will shove me dick so far up yer vagina ye will feel 't in yer throat. Do ye understand me?" Maura nodded as best she could, her eyes wild with fear. She could not even think rationally her fear was consuming every inch of her making her powerless to help herself. The pirate holding her thighs let them go and replaced the pirate's hand covering her mouth with his own.

"Turn th' lamp on smartly Benjamin."

He lit it for a few seconds then extinguished it, but it was enough time for them to see how to proceed. They had used the lamp when they had arrived at the top of the incline to see where they were going. Jack pulled Maura up into a sitting position, dragged her limp body, heavy with fear off the bed, and turned her around savagely all the while keeping his hand over her mouth.

Maura pulled herself out of her thoughts and back to the present, she could not dwell on what happened because it only made her more frightened. Suddenly a light breeze blew across her face and she stiffened because there hadn't been any breeze in the cave. She tried to calm the panic crawling up her throat and shifted slowly along the back of the furniture in the direction it had come from. As she kept moving, the faint sounds of the night blended in with the rats and the breeze blew over her once more. Maura was confused, however gathered herself and stood on shaky legs with the blanket wrapped around her shoulders, she moved slowly towards the left of the cave occasionally bumping or kicking something and she would stop in fear and listen if anyone had heard before moving again. As she moved further on, she was able to distinguish a gaping hole in the wall. It was an entry, exit point from the cave and Maura wondered where it went and if the pirates would find their way through there. The sounds of crickets and night birds wafted to her and she took a step backwards into a stack of crates sending the top couple crashing to the dirt floor. Maura made a strangled noise in her throat but what she heard next made her blood run cold. The muffled sound of angry voices drifted down to her from the ship room and Maura's heart pounded wildly.

"'Tis a stairway, come on ye idiot follow me," She heard the words bounce and echo off the corridor walls and knew men were coming down into the cave, she would not be able to hide from them and whispered Jane's name as a plea. Jane had told her to stay in the cave until her return but if she did, the pirates would capture her. Then she remembered the dagger Jane had given her, but she had left it on the floor where she had been sitting and would not be able to make it back there without making more noise. Maura whimpered it was either stay here and be found or escape from them by leaving the cave and she didn't need to think long about what option to take. Maura crept as quickly as she could towards the opening as the light of the pirates lamp lit up the cavern behind her.

"There`s th' bitch!"

Maura screamed, dropped the blanket and ran blindly from the cave out into the forest but the pirates had the advantage of the lamp. The path through the forest was wide but thick with grass, logs and rocks and Maura stumbled frantically, tripping and stubbing her toes painfully. Her lungs burned with fear and lack of oxygen but she wouldn't let the pirates thundering behind capture her. Her dress snagged on a tree, she screamed in fear and frustration and tugged at it savagely until she tore free and fell over. The pirate with the lamp reached her, she cowered against the ground, and as he stood panting over her, she kicked with all her strength at his groin and hit him hard enough to make him drop the lamp and fall to his knees. Maura scrambled up and kept running wildly, not knowing where she was going only wanting to get away from the men. She ran until she was faint but the other pirate had picked up the lamp and was still following her.

"You`re mine ye bitch," He hollered from somewhere not far behind her and it served to spur Maura on even though every part of her body ached. Then all of sudden she hit water and stumbled and floundered as it pulled at her dress and slowed her down. The pirate had the advantage of wearing breaches and closed the gap between them grabbing her arm painfully. She shrieked and flung herself around trying to find his face with her free hand. She found it and jammed her fingers into his eyes, gouging at them as hard as she could. It was only fear driving her and the will to stay alive, not any sort of defensive training. The man roared, dropped the lamp and pushed her away and she fell into the creek hitting the back of her head on a rock. Her vision blurred and she wanted to vomit but the man was hunting for her in the darkness and he gripped her arm once more. She did the next best thing that entered her mind and latched her teeth into his arm, she tasted the foul metallic tinge of his blood filling her mouth but she would not let up and he grabbed her hair and pulled brutally. Maura moaned in pain and let go of his arm and he pulled her up by her hair until she was standing.

"Oh yer goin' t' pay fer this ye fuckin' whore!" He panted.

Maura pushed her knee up into his groin but it lacked strength because her dress was weighing her down, but it was enough for him to hiss and let go and she took off as fast as she could until the bottom of the creek went out from under her and she had to swim. She swam with waning strength until her thin shoes hit bottom and she was able to stand and drag herself from the cold water. She shivered and pulled her way up the bank and couldn't hear the pirate chasing her but was not going to risk stopping. She just kept on moving as fast as she could but the paths separated and wound around sharply and she just took which ever looked best but she was completely lost so she slowed to a limping walk and stopped to sit on a large fallen tree so she could rest. Maura shivered miserably and hugged herself to try and get warm but it didn't help very much, the back of her head was throbbing and she touched it tenderly, there was a huge lump but there was no broken skin and she was grateful for that at least. Then the piercing scream of a monkey and the menacing snarl of a leopard in a tree not far away made her drop to the ground and hide behind the fallen tree. The terrified wailing of the monkey was cut off abruptly and the next thing Maura heard was the crunching of bones and the satisfied purring of the feeding leopard. She was horrified but dared not move because the leopard would see her but she could not see it, instead, she sat ramrod still and endured the disgusting sound of the monkey being devoured.

She remained there until the sky slowly began to lighten enough for her to make out shapes and shadows through wispy fog and she stood painfully hoping the leopard had gone and started walking again. A few birds began to sing beautifully and she saw the odd rabbit dart away from her into long grass and these sights and sounds helped to calm her a little. Maura was exhausted but it was too dangerous to sleep in the open, she needed to find a safer place, but more importantly, she needed to find the village. As it continued to slowly lighten, Maura was able to grasp how mountainous the island was and that the paths she traveled were man made, flocks of birds squawked in the trees and monkeys danced through them everywhere, squeaking at her as she passed. The forest was gorgeous but she was unable to enjoy it as she wished due to her current predicament. Then as though it had come out of nowhere she walked out into huge grass clearing filled with ancient ruins. Maura gasped in awe and walked over to a large stone column closest to her; she ran her hand over countless symbols carved into the column and knew that this was the work of Mayans. She had seen pictures of ruins like this in books but to actually be standing in front of some was amazing. The learner in Maura wanted to study them further but she knew she had to find somewhere safe to hide in case the pirates had regrouped and were still following her. Walking down the grassy hill past more ruins, she came to the center of the field where a large pyramid of stone stood covered in symbols, drawings and vines. There was an eeriness to this place and Maura's hair stood up on her arms as she looked up at the pyramid. Upon noticing that there was a hollow half way up the structure Maura lifted her damp dress above her knees and slowly began to climb the blocks of the pyramid. Each block only came to her hips in height and it wasn't too hard to get to the hollow. Columns on each side of the pyramid held the top and Maura walked inside and noticed an iron basin in the center, probably used for ceremonies. She sat down, lent back against one of the columns, and fell asleep almost instantly.


	40. Chapter 40

**Chapter Forty**

She awoke hours later not of her own accord but from someone shaking her shoulder roughly and she lashed out in fear but strong hands grabbed hold of her arms and pinned them at her sides.

"Maura 'tis Jane!" She hissed and Maura stopped fighting and opened her hazel eyes. A furious Jane knelt before her but Maura was so relieved she had been found that she struggled until Jane let her go then pressed herself into Jane's warm body, finally feeling safe. Jane was taken off guard; put her hands on Maura's shoulders and pushed her back to arm's length, glaring darkly at her. All the panic and worry Jane had been feeling since she had found the dagger, blanket but no Maura in the cave manifested itself into anger at her disobedience.

"What do ye think ye be doin'?" Jane whispered harshly.

Maura stared at her in complete confusion, not understanding why she was so utterly furious with her. Her head began to ache from the large lump and she tried to get up but Jane held her down easily.

"So yer back t' ignorin' me hey? I thought I told ye t' stay in th' damn cavern!" She hissed but Maura did not flinch, instead her own anger began to flare.

"Two pirates came down into the cave, it was either stay and be captured or run, I chose to run."

Jane sat back on her haunches but it killed her thigh so she stood up slowly. Maura noticed all the blood soaking through the material she had tied around her leg and gingerly reached out to touch it but Jane limped away from her.

"You don't believe me do you? You thought I was trying to escape. Well if I was why wouldn't I take the dagger for protection and the blanket for warmth?"

Jane turned back to her in anger, "I dasn't know lass but I sure as hell didna be seein' any pirates on me search fer you." Truthfully, Jane had no idea how to react to the situation, she was just so relieved Maura was okay and was not used to the feeling, why she had it or how to deal with it. This woman was making her feel things she hadn't felt in so long she forgot that they existed. When she had seen the scrap of Maura's clothing stuck on a low-lying branch she had thought the worst and had kept walking painfully for hours along each path until she had taken the one that lead to the field of ruins. Jane searched for an hour around the field and would have left had she not looked up the pyramid and seen some material hanging over the side of the hollow. She had grunted her way up the pyramid and as she drew closer, realized it was Maura's dress.

Maura was furious, she had just endured the most frightening event in her life and Jane had the gall to accuse her of lying about the whole ordeal, she could not believe it.

"What is wrong with you?" She shouted louder then she had intended, "You left me in that cavern by myself with a dagger I have no idea how to use with savage pirates looking for me and you expected me to just stay there and be caught simply because you gave me an order to remain there!"

"I'd be mighty careful o' th' way ye speak t' me lass, if 't weren`t fer me comin' t' find ye, ye`d still be ou' here alone," Jane gritted.

"The way you are accusing me of lying right now I would rather be alone!" Maura spat harshly before sliding her stiff legs over the side of the pyramid and hoping down onto the block below her.

"Where th' hell do ye think yer goin' now!" Jane roared, limping over to watch Maura hoping down the pyramid.

"Away from you!" She yelled back and Jane cursed before following Maura down painfully. Maura reached the bottom and started walking off in the wrong direction, Jane knew these forests well, "Your goin' th' wrong way ye stubborn fool!" She barked but Maura just kept walking and Jane roared in frustration and ran after her. She had just come all this way to find the disobedient woman on a badly wounded leg and was furious with her emotions and now the woman was walking away from her. She grabbed Maura by the arm and Maura swung around and slapped Jane hard on the side of her face. She was stunned speechless for a few moments and Maura had the good sense to look frightened. Jane bunched her fists in anger, her cheek stung and she was surprised at the strength of the shorter woman, she hadn't expected it.

"Don't touch me," Maura hissed and Jane didn't like being told what to do or not being in control.

"You be goin' th' wrong way, follow me or I will pick ye up an' carry ye damn 't."

"You will do no such thing! I thought you had come here to rescue me, not accuse me of escaping! My head has a massive lump on it because one of the pirates pushed me into the creek, a leopard nearly spotted me, I am cold, sore, hungry and most of all frightened and you come here in your arrogance and think I am lying and that I would actually endure all I have because I was escaping. Tell me exactly where do you think I was escaping to, there is no way off this island except via ship!"

Jane was enraged, "Okay, okay good god I b'lieve ye alright, now be quiet an' follow me back t' th' village!" She yelled but Maura was having none of it, all the weeks of abuse from Jane physically and mentally came to the forefront of her mind and she could not contain her anger anymore. This woman before her, whom had taken her away from everything she loved, cherished, had treated her horribly for weeks, and had ordered her around like a slave, had kidnapped her and Maura was done with it. She slapped Jane across the face once more and yelled at her, "No you don't believe me, I am sick and tired of being treated the way I have by you! You have stolen me away from my family, my fiance, everyone I hold dear and then you have the nerve to treat me so harshly and expect me to obey and follow your every whim? You are a heartless monster Jane and I cannot wait until I am home and never have to see your face again!"

Jane's reaction was swift; she was beyond angry and did not want to admit it to herself but Maura's declaration of calling her a heartless monster had actually gotten to her, she wanted nothing more than to shut Maura up, so she did the only thing she knew that would silence the infuriating women.

Jane pulled Maura into her hard body, and before she could pull away, Jane wrapped her arms around Maura's slim waist and covered her mouth with her own, Maura tensed immediately and at first fought wildly to get away but Jane held her effortlessly and continued to kiss her. She kept struggling fiercely but eventually stopped and hung limply in Jane's embrace then made a strangled whimpering sound in the back of her throat and slowly began to kiss Jane back and Jane's nerves sprung to life. Instinctively she bent her head sideways and deepened the kiss running her tongue along Maura's top lip and Maura moaned quietly, sunk further into Jane's strong body, and opened her mouth to Jane's seeking tongue. Even in a kiss, Jane was in control and her tongue took over Maura's mouth exploring it leisurely. She groaned deep in her throat as Maura's tongue tentatively touched hers and they began to slide together in a game of give and take. Jane tightened her hold on Maura, her strong hands glided down her slim waist, and Maura shuddered and pushed further up into Jane standing on her tiptoes. She was completely lost in Jane's mouth, her hands twisted their way into Jane's impossibly soft hair, and she pulled her mouth down harder upon hers. Jane grunted and lifted one of Maura's legs to wrap it around her waist and it was then Maura realized what she was doing and pushed away from Jane in cold shock. They stared at each other wildly, panting for air and Maura had never seen Jane's eyes so feral, so dark, they were practically black. She couldn't think, her nerve endings were alive and her stomach was pulsing with an unfamiliar ache that pooled at her core, even her nipples had tightened and were rubbing against the material of her dress in a pleasurable sensation. Maura made a sobbing noise and turned away walking blindly through the ruins. Jane was just as shocked and aroused as Maura was, and stood mutely watching her walk away. One kiss had sent desire so strong cursing through her body that she wanted to go after Maura and do much more than just kiss her and she groaned at the taste of Maura's mouth still in hers and went after her; for she was still walking in the wrong direction. She caught up with Maura and grabbed her arm more gently then she had the first time and braced herself for yet another slap but instead Maura turned around crying. Jane was still aroused but at the sight of Maura's tears her arousal shriveled and died away and against her will, concern replaced it.

"You shouldn't have done that," Maura whispered brokenly. Jane didn't apologize; she would not apologize for a kiss that had felt like that.

"I have a fiance, you…you're a woman."

"And ye kissed me back Maura," Jane said testily.

More tears streamed down Maura's face, "Oh God what have I done."

Jane put a hand under her chin, tipping it up and Maura gazed at Jane's lips before her hazel eyes met Jane's dark ones.

"Come, let`s go back t' th' village," She spoke quietly and let go of Maura's chin, started to walk away and Maura followed behind her slowly. They walked in silence all the way back to Jane's house, Maura crying silently, each lost in their own thoughts. This time without all the searching, it only took about an hour to get back and Jane took Maura through the cave entrance and up the stairs into the house. She limped over to the table and chairs in the ship room, and sat down on the edge of the table to take the weight off her leg. She was thirsty, exhausted and sore and Maura felt the same. She should not have cared about Jane's leg after all Jane had put her through, after what she had done at the ruins, but she did, she was a doctor. She went warily over to Jane and stood in front of her and Jane simply watched her with an unreadable expression. Maura hesitantly touched the wrap over Jane's leg and when she did not move away began to undo the tight rag. Her leg was hot and Maura thought it was beginning to get infected but when her hand brushed against her other leg gently and it was just as hot, she realized that it was just their normal temperature. She finished unwrapping the leg and blood began seeping through the side of Jane's pants but Maura couldn't get a good enough view of the wound with the material of her breaches in the way. Jane must have read Maura's thoughts and kicked off her boots, pulled a dagger from her belt and made short work of cutting off her pants leg roughly and tossing the material aside. Maura stared at Jane's strongly muscled leg for longer than she should have before she moved to her side and gasped at the deep curved gash in the side of Jane's thigh, it started at the top and snaked towards the back of her thigh in a half circle.

"You've walked all this time with that?" She whispered sadly.

"Aye," Was all Jane said and Maura glanced up to find her watching her intently and she shivered.

She was furious and even disgusted with Jane and all she wanted to do was get away from her, yet when she was away from her, she found herself wanting to be in her presence again. Maura stepped back and shook her head, she was tired and deeply upset by the fact that Jane had kissed her, and felt horribly guilty because she was Garrett's fiance.

"I will stitch this for you; please don't argue with me, I'm tired."

"Aye," Jane said again.

"Where are your medical supplies?"

Jane nodded over towards a cabinet on the far wall, Maura went to it, and pulled out everything she would need, bringing it over to Jane.

"You will have to put your leg up on a chair."

Jane did so slowly and Maura stepped closer to her, ran her hand gently up the thick muscle under her wound, and felt the muscle tense when she did so.

"This is going to hurt."

"Not any more than 't already does," Jane spoke roughly; Maura's hand on her thigh was making her lose her concentration. Maura grabbed a thick cotton pad soaked it in whiskey and covered Jane's deep wound, it burnt, Jane hissed, and Maura could feel the tensing muscles beneath her fingers once more. The burning eventually faded to numbness and Jane relaxed her body. Maura cleaned the wound and surrounding area thoroughly before rinsing it out with whiskey. She then went to work stitching meticulously and by the time she had finished her eyes were bleary, the wound had needed forty stitches to close it properly and she wiped it over with whiskey and went to wrap it but Jane stopped her with a hand over her smaller one.

"Go back t' th' cabinet; in thar be satchels o' dried herbs. Get one an' take 't t' th' kitchen an add enough water only t' moisten it t' a paste then brin' 't back." Maura did what she said and brought back two large mugs of water for Jane from the water pump. She handed one to her, Jane said a gruff thank you before sculling it without stopping, and Maura watched her Adams apple bob up and down as she swallowed and had a sudden urge to kiss the strong column of her neck. Her eyes shot from her neck as Jane took the other mug and drank half before wiping her mouth on her sleeve.

"Help me make a bath fer you," She said before standing and leaning her weight onto her good leg.

"But I have to wrap your leg."

"I will be havin' a bath after ye then I will wrap 't."

"But you can't get it wet!"

"Once won't hurt."

Jane limped out of the ship room and Maura shook her head wearily not wanting to argue and followed her. She tried not to watch the muscles bunch in Jane's leg and her stomach clenched as she did and she looked away quickly. They worked together in awkward silence and eventually had a hot bath ready. Jane brought a clean dress to her and a towel and said nothing, just limped out and left Maura alone in her bathroom. She took a deep steadying breath and took her dirty dress off quickly before stepping into the hot water and sinking down deeply. When she tried to relax and quieten her mind, she ended up thinking of Jane's kiss even more than she already was. It had been the most amazing, breathtaking thing she had ever felt, her body had by no means reacted that way to another human being before, it was a though at the touch of Jane's lips all her boldness and passion had transferred to Maura as their tongues danced. She had been unable to control herself after her initial shock and anger and had kissed Jane back with a fever she didn't even know she possessed. It was as though Jane's mouth brought out hidden depths in her soul that had lain dormant all these years. One kiss, and from Jane of all people, a woman, a pirate!

_Oh my God I kissed a woman, she kissed me!_

Maura made a whimpering noise of defeat and washed herself quickly but thoroughly. The soothing hot water made her extra tired and she wanted to sleep but the thought of sleeping alone at the cottage with all that blood and after what had happened earlier that morning terrified her. She knew she would not be able to sleep there, even if she was exhausted. Maura dried her hair, and body and put on her dress before leaving the steamy bathroom. Jane wasn't in her room so she sat down on the bed to wait for her, after a while her eyelids drooped heavily and she was having a difficult time of staying seated so she lay down to wait. Instead, the familiar scent of Jane on her sheets only made Maura think more of their kiss and Jane's mouth, which she could still taste in her own and she broke down crying from the guilt she felt at betraying Garrett.

_Damn you Jane, damn you! Why did you do that?_

Jane returned from the village two hours later after she had assessed the fire damaged houses and made sure the women and her crew were okay, she spent most of her time stitching wounds, but thankfully none of the injuries were life threatening. However, Jane had been distracted the whole time she couldn't get the feeling of Maura's inviting mouth and soft tongue from her mind. Jane wanted to kiss her again to see if it felt as good the second time. She had not expected Maura to react and kiss her back and when she did Jane couldn't control herself, she tasted sweet like honey and her body had been soft and supple under Jane's large hands. The woman surely must be a witch because Jane had never lost control in a kiss before, she was the dominant one, but when Maura had begun to take control of Jane's tongue with her own Jane had let her willingly.

She clenched her jaw and went into her room assuming Maura would have gone back to the cottage but instead she found her sound asleep on top of her bed. Jane walked over to the sleeping woman; she was on her side with a hand under her face, mouth hanging slightly open. Jane stared down at her soft lips and her mouth went dry. She turned away quickly and went to heat more water to add to the bath. Strangely enough though she wasn't bothered by the thought of Maura back in her bed. Jane washed all the blood, sweat and dirt from herself quickly before applying the paste to her leg and wrapping it, then putting the left over paste in water to drink. She was about to go to the library to sleep on one of the lounge chairs when she heard Maura moaning and calling for help. She limped in there as fast as she could to find her thrashing about wildly in her sleep. Jane grabbed her by the shoulders and told her to wake up but she became more afraid and lashed out at Jane in defense.

"Maura wake up 'tis only a dream," Jane shook her until she opened her frightened eyes and stopped thrashing once she saw Jane, "'Tis only me lass, ye be havin' a dream."

Maura was in shock, "They…the pirates…one was raping…he…"

Jane's face hardened in anger at the mention of the pirates, "It be jus' a dream Maura."

She spoke deeply and calmly to her without knowing she was and cupped her cheek with a calloused hand, "They be dead, they canna hurt you."

Tears slid down Maura's cheeks and pooled against Jane's hand as she hiccuped spasmodically.

"Go back t' sleep."

Jane left her then to sleep in the library, all too aware of the wetness on her hand left from Maura's tears, and the concern she felt creeping upon her.


	41. Chapter 41

**Chapter ****Forty-One**

Maura awoke alone the next morning confused until she realized she was in Jane's bed and not the cottage and the events of yesterday came back to her with a sinking feeling in her chest. She got out of bed hesitantly expecting to see Jane at any minute but Jane had been long gone at first light to start building houses for her new crew. Maura went sadly to the dining room to find Vince coming out the kitchen.

"Hello Vince, how are you?" She spoke quietly.

"Hey Maura, I'm jus' fine, I ortin' ta be askin' ye how ye be after what happened."

"I'm fine Vince, but I'd rather not talk about it if that's okay?"

"Fine by me."

He sat two plates of breakfast down, toast, eggs and fresh fruit, two glasses of orange juice and Maura sat down quickly.

"Thank you for cooking for me all the time, it's very nice of you."

"No problem."

Vince noticed how quiet and troubled Maura was this morning but he put it down to her horrible ordeal yesterday which she had politely asked him not to inquire about so he left it be. Little did Vince know Maura's somber mood was the result of her betrayal of her fiance and her inability to get Jane's kiss from her mind. They ate breakfast in an unusual silence before Vince cleared the table and returned.

"What would ye like t' do today?" He asked festively in the hope his mood would cheer Maura but she just looked up to him dejectedly.

"If it is not too much trouble I would rather be alone today."

"I'm sorry I canna do that after what happened, thar could still be pirates around."

"What were they here for? Does…did Jane know them?" Maura asked in an effort to distract herself even if briefly. Vince thought about it carefully before sitting back down, he didn't want to divulge too much information to Maura, if Jane found out, she would be furious but Maura deserved to know why she had just gone through that traumatic experience.

"They came th' lass' on accoun' o' they wanted ye Maura, that an' their ship Orpheus back."

Maura shuddered at this revelation and looked at Vince, "They wanted me? Why? How does Jane know them? One threatened to rape me!" She blurted as her eyes teared up once more.

"Aye I'm sorry lass," Maura glanced at him and saw the sincerity in his expression, "Jane does know them an' she hates them all, trust me she won`t be takin' this lightly. In fact I know she feels responsible."

Maura paled visibly, "How, why does she feel responsible? Did…did she want them to attack me?"

Maura suddenly felt small and inexplicably alone at the possibility of Jane wanting them to attack her.

_But then why did she rescue…._

She didn't have time to finish her thoughts, "No!" Vince stated emphatically, "Ye got me confused Maura, she feels responsible on accoun' o' them bastards followed her from Havana an' she didna know they be followin' her. She lead them right t' ye an' I've known Jane long enough t' know she will take th' blame."

Maura sat back against the chair and rubbed her temples softly, undeniably relieved Jane had not planned the attack on her, although she couldn't understand why she should feel this way.

"Why…why should she feel responsible, it…it isn't her fault." She whispered quietly.

"My guess be somethings distractin' her, on accoun' o' Jane has th' senses o' a leopard, she`s cunnin' an' can sense danger. All I can say be she must be havin' somethin' major botherin' her fer her nay t' notice them pirates. She feels responsible on accoun' o' ye be under her protection, th' whole village be, they be her people."

Maura understood why Jane would feel responsible if harm came to her people while she was distracted and Maura suddenly felt saddened for her. The weight of that duty must be hard to bare and although Maura didn't find her to blame, she could understand how Jane would think differently. She found her kind heart aching for Jane and fidgeted with a candle holder on the dining table.

"She must feel terrible."

Vince hadn't expected this response and raised his eyebrows, "Aye she probably does but shes tough. Why does what Jane feel matter t' ye?"

Vince wasn't angry with Maura just inquisitive, since when did a prisoner give a damn about their captive?

"I don't quite know…I just…I mean it probably shouldn't, she hasn't exactly been kind to me."

"I think Jane needs someone like ye, ye be good fer her."

"What's that's supposed to mean?" Maura panicked and for some reason her mind went back to their kiss yesterday morning and she shivered.

"Forget 't, 't dasn't mean nothing Vince said hastily before standing, "Seein' I canna leave ye, what would ye like t' do?"

Maura was not convinced what Vince had said meant nothing but she was restless and wanted to stop talking. She knew she would not be able to concentrate enough to read and didn't want to go anywhere near the cottage and she sighed in frustration.

"I know somethin' ye might like t' do go an' get changed an' do whatere'tis ye lasses do an' come ou' t' th' veranda when yer done."

Maura looked at him warily but went to change, splash her face and brush her hair before meeting him on the veranda. The lump on her head was starting to throb painfully and Maura knew it was going to be trouble until it went away. She looked up to the cottage and shuddered and Vince watched her silently before taking her arm gently and steering her towards the village. He didn't know much about women, but Vince thought maybe it would do Maura some good to be around the children today. But he had no idea just how right he was and how stressed Maura was, seeing Barry and Anna's children would be the perfect remedy for her, if only for a little while. Vince took her through the village and she asked what had happened to the burnt buildings some of the pirates where repairing and Vince explained what had happened yesterday. The ship of the enemy was a burnt out husk that lay on its side in the ocean, the charred masts reaching up onto the sand. Pirates worked around it cutting it down and Vince explained they would salvage anything that wasn't destroyed before burning what they could and then moving the hull out to deeper waters. Maura remained contemplating in silence, while she was thankful that the threat of danger was gone, she couldn't bring herself to be happy about death, even those hard, vicious evil men probably had families of their own or at the very least someone who was going to miss them. They walked out into the fields towards the large shady tree that stood proudly and Maura caught sight of men in the distance hacking down trees near the mountains and others building house frames. She instinctively scanned the groups for any sight of Jane but see couldn't see her and turned her attention to a small group of children who sat under the shade of the tree with roughly constructed notebooks and led pencils. Anna stopped what she was doing when she caught sight of Vince and Maura, "Hello Vince, Maura," she nodded sternly, "What can I do for you?"

The children were watching Maura with blatant interest and Maura scanned their young faces until she saw Abby sitting at the back barely able to control herself from standing and running to her. Maura smiled warmly at them all.

"Mornin' Anna. I brought Maura ou' here t' say hello t' th' children, that be after they be havin' finished the'r lessons," He added hastily.

Anna nodded, "Only after they have finished lessons." Maura smiled her thanks and she and Vince went to the back of the group to watch and listen in on the children's lessons. Maura whispered a thank you to Vince for bringing her out here and he nodded. She was grateful he had brought her out to the children, but she could not relax fully because she could sense Jane working nearby. No matter how hard she tried, she could not stop herself glancing towards the building site often hoping to catch a glimpse of her, disappointed when she didn't.

Maura's preoccupation with the building site was not lost on Vince and he figured it could be due to either two things, curiosity or Jane.

"Somethin' botherin' ye Maura?"

Maura glanced back to the children quickly, "I was just watching the building."

"Would ye like me t' take ye o'er thar?"

"No, no thank you Vince."

Maura struggled but for the rest of the lesson kept her eyes on the children and didn't try to look for Jane anymore, but that didn't mean she didn't sense her close.

_She shouldn't be working on her injured leg _she thought with a mixture of worry and frustration.

Not long later the class finished and Abby and the two boys ran over to Maura and Vince, "Hello Maura, hello Vince!" Abby squealed before hugging Maura around her legs. Rather than feel uncomfortable form the hug she felt comforted and put her arms over Abby's back hugging her lightly. The two twins cuddled into her and she looked up at Vince in astonishment.

"I think ye be havin' three pretty serious admirers thar," Vince stated with a grin on his face.

Maura smiled back sheepishly, dumbfounded as to why they liked her so much.

"Alrite ye three, if yer mother says aye how would ye like Maura an' me t' take ye an' Elsie fer a walk on th' beach?"

Abby's eyes lit up and she darted over to her mother to ask her permission. Anna came back holding her hand.

"That is fine Vince; would I be able to join you?"

"What? Ye dasn't be havin' t' ask Anna o' course ye can!" Vince barked a laugh and Maura smiled happily at Anna as she smiled back. The six of them where just about to leave the shade of the tree for the beach when Jane strode over to them. When Maura saw her she tensed as she approached, noticing her slight limp as she walked. Jane had been chopping timber all morning but she had stopped her swinging when she suddenly became aware of Maura. She had lent on her axe wiping the sweat from her brow before glancing around in search of her. Having not found her she shook her head in aggravation and continued to work, but the heightened awareness of Maura's presence stayed with her and Jane grew impatient with it, she would go insane if she had to work like this all day. Therefore, she lent back on her axe once more and scanned the fields properly and it was then she spotted a small figure under the tree with the children and she knew it was Maura before she even got close enough to distinguish her. Jane had already reached them under the tree before she realized she didn't actually have a reason to be there, at the sight of Maura she had simply went to her. She too had been preoccupied thinking about the kiss they had shared yesterday, she had lain awake thinking about it and although she did not want to admit it, listening in case Maura had another nightmare.

The children spotted Jane and Abby raced into her arms and she swung her upside down and held her there squealing in delight but Jane's eyes were on Maura. The twins jumped around her feet happily, as Anna scolded Jane playfully, "Put her down Jane, you will get her too worked up."

At Anna's request, Jane swung Abby up the correct way and dropped her on her feet unceremoniously before ruffling her hair.

"Just finished yer lessons huh squirts?"

"Yes, now we are all going to the beach with Elsie," Abby said trying to keep her excitement in.

"Oh be ye now?"

"Yes!" The twins chorused.

"Is thar somethin' ye need Jane?" Vince inquired even though he was confident her already knew what she wanted, she had barely stopped looking at Maura.

"No I jus' wanted t' be seein' what ye all be up to."

Jane walked a few steps closer to Maura and she looked up to her with big, unsure eyes.

"Hello Maura."

"Hello Jane," Maura said nervously with a fluttering sensation in her stomach, "How…how is your leg?" she whispered.

"'Tis fine."

"Oh…oh okay." Maura looked down and Jane did not know how she knew that wasn't the whole truth, but she knew.

"'Tis a wee bit sore," She admitted gruffly.

Maura looked back up at her in concern, "You shouldn't be working Jane, you need to let it mend."

Maura's concern left Jane feeling warm inside and she shook her head briefly as if it would help.

"I be fine lass, this be nay th' first time."

Vince and Anna where watching them talk closely together with interest as the children tried to climb the tree. Anna glanced at Vince and raised an eyebrow, "Am I the only one seeing that?" she whispered excitedly.

"Seein' what?"

Anna rolled her eyes and scoffed, "You don't see the way they are looking at each other? Jane does not look at anybody like that," she said pointing at Jane discreetly.

"Aye I be seein' 't, I jus' wanted t' make sure we be on th' same page, what do ye make o' 't?"

"Hush don't speak so loud," she jabbed him in the arm for emphasis, "And what I make of that is Jane Rizzoli is smitten."

"Ye sure?"

"What do you mean am I sure? Of course I am sure!"

"What about Maura, she be havin' a fiance back home."

"Well I think Maura is going to be confused for quite a while; I saw the way she kept looking for Jane…"

Anna trailed off as both Jane and Maura walked towards them.

No one had yet to ask Jane if she would be joining them on the beach but Maura was hoping fervently she would not because she was unable to look at Jane without remembering their kiss and what Jane's mouth had felt like. She was having enough trouble keeping her betrayal from her mind without Jane around.

"Will you be joining us Jane?" Anna stated casually although she felt anything but casual.

"Nay I be havin' t' keep working."

Maura sighed relief internally that Jane would not be joining them.

_Then why do I feel disappointed?_

"Alright then. Kids come on let's get going." The kids raced on ahead and Vince and Anna said goodbye to Jane and walked off but Maura made no move to follow them, she hesitated anxiously next to Jane.

"Maura."

"Jane."

They gazed at each other a few moments and Jane's eyes roamed over Maura's lips before she nodded and walked away leaving a flustered and confused Maura to watch her until she could no longer see her before leaving the shade of the tree to meet the others.


	42. Chapter 42

**Chapter ****Forty-Two**

Jane and Maura didn't see each other again until later on that night when Jane came home tired and dirty to find Vince and Maura eating dinner in her dining room. Maura had been nervous throughout the meal expecting Jane to come home and be angry to find her using her dining room but there was no way she could go back to the cottage and stay there alone. Vince understood this and cooked dinner with Maura's offer of assistance.

"Well I didna expect t' be seein' ye two here," She said somberly and took note of how nervous Maura seemed. Truthfully, she was too exhausted to ask why they were eating there; all she wanted to do was get clean, drink ale and smoke a cigar.

"We can go if you want?" Maura spoke anxiously.

Jane merely said nay before pulling off her boots, going to the kitchen, coming back with a mug of ale for her and Vince and sitting down close next to a stiff backed Maura, resisting the urge look at her.

"Ye look like shit Jane an' thanks fer th' ale."

"Aye I feel like shit too," She grumbled deeply before sighing, stretching her long lets out under the table and crossing her hands behind her head. She chanced a quick glance Maura's way to find her gazing openly at her long torso then up to her face finding Jane watching heatedly and she jerked her head the other way but not before Jane caught the blush in her neck and cheeks. Vince stood up and said his good nights to the both of them, leaving before Maura could protest, he didn't want to be in the middle of another argument between them, he wanted to be home asleep with Elsie at his feet.

Maura sat in silence looking everywhere but at Jane, highly embarrassed to have been caught staring at her lanky body. She could smell the natural oily, sweaty scent of her skin from working and to her frustration it excited her.

"Relax Maura."

"Will…will you please walk me to the cottage I would like to…to go to sleep," she said hastily.

Maura was dreading going back there knowing full well she would lie awake in fear all night.

"Ye will stay wi' me from now on."

Her statement surprised both of them but only Maura showed it. Jane hastily chalked her words up to not wanting Maura to be without her protection because of what happened yesterday morning, although when she looked at her she knew that was only half of the reason, Maura herself was the other.

"That won't be necessary I…"

"Yes Maura 'tis necessary ye will stay wi' me in case thar be still pirates on th' island."

"You seem to have forgotten that you are one yourself."

"Ye know what? Do as ye wish, but dasn't expect me t' help ye if ye get into trouble." Jane stood up and the chair scrapped loudly across the floor as she pushed it back. Maura panicked, there was no way she wanted to sleep in the cottage but the thought of staying alone with Jane each night frightened her also, just for different reasons.

"Okay I will I'm sorry Jane, anything but the cottage please," she whispered.

Jane had barely managed to hear what she had said she was that quiet and even though she was tired, she was grateful Maura had accepted her protection. She walked back to her, covered a slender shoulder with her large hand, and felt a slight tremble go through her.

"Thank ye lass."

For reasons she could not understand Jane was starting to want Maura to feel safer in her house than she currently felt. Then a thought came to her, perhaps she could set Maura more at ease by asking her to check her leg wound, she seemed to enjoy helping people or so Jane thought.

_Since when do ye care that a prisoner feels safe?_

Jane shook her head to clear her thoughts and squeezed Maura's shoulder gently, "Would ye mind checkin' me leg before I clean up?"

It was lost on Jane that she was asking Maura rather than ordering her but Maura noticed.

She remained nervously stiff under Jane's touch, "No I don't mind."

Jane squeezed Maura's shoulder once more before letting go and going to her bedroom, with Maura following. She undid her belt and it took Maura a few seconds to comprehend what she was seeing before she blushed and swung around. Jane covered herself with a towel but left her wound exposed.

"It be ready."

Maura turned around and sucked in a shallow breath before sitting down next to Jane to check over the wound.

"I saw you limping this morning. Your wound looks a little aggravated and swollen, I would suggest staying off of it but I know you won't do that so you should probably keep up with the herb concoction."

"Nay I canna me men be needin' houses."

At the mention of her men, Maura thought back to the conversation she and Vince had this morning and looked at Jane carefully. Maura saw she was tired but didn't think Jane would be the type of person to go around showing or telling everyone that she felt responsible for what had happened.

"It isn't your fault you know?" Maura had only meant to think it not say it but when Jane looked at her sharply she knew she had spoken.

"What ain't?"  
>"What happened yesterday morning. I…the pirates, you didn't know."<p>

"I dasn't know what ye`re talkin' about," Jane growled and went to stand but Maura reached out and covered her thigh with her hand and both of them tensed at the contact.

"I think you do. Vince told me this morning you would feel responsible for what happened yesterday, but you aren't."

"God Vince! Why th' hell do ye care anyway? An' what would ye know about responsibility!"

"I…your walking around probably beating yourself up about it…when there's no need for you to. These people are your people, but you didn't fail them."

Jane remained silent and Maura removed her hand from her thigh, it was distracting her.

"I'm too fuckin' tired t' argue wi' you lass."

"Well then don't, just listen instead." She said gently.

The temptation for Jane to believe what Maura was saying was strong, there was respite and comfort waiting for her in those words and she wanted to believe them but it was the easy way out, the chicken's way. Besides why should she listen to Maura? Why should her opinion matter?

"Jane?"

"Mmph."

"Go and have a bath and I will get some herbs ready for you," She said tenderly.

_God almighty lass dasn't look at me that way! _Jane wasn't sure what it meant but she liked it a little too much already.

"Since when do ye order me around?"

"I'm not…I'm only trying to help."

"Aye well thanks," She spoke gruffly before getting up to begin filling the bathtub enough to sponge herself clean. Maura had the herbs prepared for her when she went into the dining room and then she retired to the library to sleep leaving her bed for Maura.

**J&M**

Maura awoke in the early hours the next morning, sweating, crying and shouting in fright from another nightmare and did so for the next three mornings. It was the only time she saw Jane as she awoke each time to calm her down with awkward words and reassurances before heading back to the library. Both of them would spend the rest of the morning restless and unable to sleep, Maura because of the nightmares, Jane from over exhaustion and her mounting frustration that she was unable to do anything about Maura's nightmares.

She stirred when the all too familiar sound of Maura's cries for help came from her bedroom and found herself storming into her own bedroom as quickly as she could.

_God I would love t' kill them bastards ten times o'er fer what they be havin' done t' Maura!_

She didn't stop to analyze the fact she was having such thoughts, they had just become regular since Maura's nightmares had begun.

"Maura wake up lass 'tis only a dream," She said gruffly sitting on the side of the bed and gripping Maura's shoulders.

"No, no don't!" She shrieked.

"Maura, wake up!" Jane continued to shake her until her eyes flew open and darted around the dark room unable to see anything.

"Please don't," She whimpered.

"Maura 'tis me."

"Oh god Jane!" Instinctively Maura grabbed Jane's forearms, struggled up and pushed herself into her chest, snuggling her face into Jane's warm neck, it was shock and fear driving her and she simply wanted to feel safe again. Jane didn't push her away; instead, she let Maura regain her surroundings and time to calm down, gently rocking her back and forth.

"I'm so sorry," Maura mumbled into Jane's soft neck.

"You canna help 't."

"But I keep waking you, I…you should take me back to…to the cottage."

"No!" Jane barked commandingly, startling them both before she said it more gently and Maura relaxed back into her, "'Tis nay safe fer ye."

Maura stayed silent and Jane continued to hold her until her breathing began to even out and her grip loosened slightly on Jane's arms. Jane removed her hands and gently went to lay her down but she stirred and shot wide awake, "Jane?" she whispered.

"Aye 'tis me."

Tears of frustration pooled in Maura's eyes, she was tired of these nightmares, they felt so horribly real and it felt as though they were taking control of her.

"Will…will you stay till I fall asleep?" Maura whispered shakily.

Jane's first thought was to say no, she wasn't a babysitter to her captives she was a pirate. But she heard the panic in Maura's voice, grunted and without a word stood up and went to her side of the bed. Maura listened to her movements in the dark with a mixture of nervousness and relief, she had never shared a bed with Jane, but her strong presence soothed Maura and she didn't want her to go. Jane lay on her back and the heat from her body enveloped Maura even though they were at opposite sides.

"This be jus' till ye fall asleep," She said gruffly and Maura whispered thank you before the both of them fell soundly back to sleep for the first morning in a while.


	43. Chapter 43

**Chapter ****Forty-Three**

A few hours later Maura stirred at dawn in a semi awake state, she was in a dreamy haze but the first thing noticed was how content, warm and comfortable she felt. She struggled to wake but the scent of sandalwood and warm skin invaded her nose, she opened one eye lazily, and what she saw confused her until she made sense of it and opened her other eye. She was still on her side but her body was pressed firmly up against Jane's unyielding one, her face buried into her neck. One of Jane's strong arms hung heavily over her waist pulling her in close and her hot breath stirred the top of Maura's head. Maura tried to move away slowly but Jane tensed and pulled her body back in closer and continued sleeping.

"Jane, wake up," She whispered while pushing against the top of her chest gently. Jane stirred once more and yawned before she did the unthinkable and lifted her damaged leg over Maura's own leg. Maura stiffened and pushed at Jane's shoulder harder.

"Jane please wake up."

Jane groaned and opened her eyes and became aware she was holding someone soft and warm and glanced down to see the top of a blonde wavy head, she was at a loss until she smelt the milky vanilla scent of the woman's hair.

_Maura!_

Jane pulled her arm and leg off her and Maura shifted back and tilted her head up as Jane tiled hers down. Their faces were only inches apart and Maura stared into Jane's sleepy dark brown eyes, and before she knew what hit her Jane closed the gap and kissed her. Maura's arousal was instant and she sucked in a breath at the sensation of Jane's firm lips covering hers and her eyes fluttered closed of their own accord. She began to kiss Jane back slowly but at the first taste of Jane's mouth, she kissed her firmer. Jane tasted like malt, whiskey, and something that must have been uniquely her and Maura didn't know if there was anything that tasted better. She became awake of Jane's strong arm wrapping back around her smaller waist and as she pulled her in closer Maura felt her nipples stiffen at the contact between her body and Jane's. She was kissing Maura's mouth slowly and leisurely and Maura didn't know why but she felt immensely impatient and pushed her mouth harder to Jane's. She licked Jane's bottom lip and jumped when she groaned. The rest of the world had faded from Maura's mind; all she knew was Jane as she slipped her tongue into Maura's mouth and at the same time rolled her onto her back following her to cover her body with her larger one. Maura felt a delicious ache slide down her stomach into her core and she arched up into Jane purely because it felt like the right thing to do. Jane moaned into Maura's mouth, she shivered uncontrollably, the sound made her ache even more down below, and an unfamiliar dampness seeped out onto her inner thighs. Jane deepened the kiss, stroking Maura's tongue with her own before licking and nipping at her lips hungrily. Maura half gasped half moaned and Jane pushed her lower body further into Maura's, she was blinded by her need for the woman beneath her, it had happened so rapidly and Jane felt like she had no control over herself, her body ached and pulsed with a mind of its own. But what frightened Jane was the heady awareness she had of Maura, she felt connected to her in a way that hadn't been so with any other woman. She smelt the clean musky scent of Maura's arousal and groaned deeply against her soft lips.

"God Maura what be ye doin' t' me?" She rasped and Maura tingled all over until Jane's words sunk in and her eyes flew wide open.

"Oh my goodness Jane, get off me now!" She panicked and pushed at Jane forcefully and Jane did as Maura asked of her. They were just able to make each other out in the faint light of morning and both of them where flushed and panting for breath. Maura stared at Jane aghast before hurriedly crawling off her bed and out of the bedroom. Jane sat back on the bed completely stunned before she realized Maura had taken off and could end up anywhere and she too got off the bed and followed her out into the front yard. She spotted Maura practically running through the gardens towards the cottage and jogged after her.

"Maura stop!"

Maura just ignored her and picked up her pace.

"I said stop lass!" She yelled before breaking into a run to stop her before she started up the incline. Jane ran in front of her and blocked her way and Maura looked at her with disgust and not only did it anger Jane, for some unfathomable reason it hurt, although Jane couldn't of known the disgust wasn't directed at her. Maura felt disgust for herself for betraying Garrett twice so easily, and of all people with a woman, a ruthless pirate, she was mortified by her brazen behavior, mortified she had cheated on her future husband.

"Leave me alone please captain."

Jane now noticed the formal use of captain and growled. She much preferred hearing her name on Maura's lips. Shaking her head to clear her line of thought she looked down at Maura.

"Come back t' me house."

"Why! So you can use me as your…your play thing whenever you wish?"

Now Jane was starting to get angry and Maura knew it, "You will come back wi' me please," She said stiffly, fists bunched at her sides. She was still pulsing with her need of Maura, and knew very well if Maura hadn't stopped her, she would have taken her the whole way. She couldn't think properly because her groin was thinking for her but all she wanted was for Maura to come back to her bed, the thought of her alone in the cottage angered and frustrated Jane when she could have her company instead.

"No Jane I…I can't." She said as her tears started falling.

Jane's need died away to be replaced by disappointment and strangely she felt rejected.

"Suit yerself," she stated rigidly, "But 't hasn`t been cleaned yet."

And with that, Jane stormed off leaving Maura alone in the foggy chill of morning. She stared down at her trembling body still throbbing with the ache Jane had so effortlessly stirred up within it and choked back a sob. Her mind was utter turmoil and she walked back and sat down on the side of the fountain but instead of calming down Maura was angry with Jane, angry she had kissed her twice, angry at her because she missed her strong presence the moment she had left the bedroom.

There was no way Maura wanted to go back to the cottage, but she couldn't go back to Jane's house either. She sat at the fountain debating with herself but all she wanted to do was confront Jane. She strode back in the French doors and closed them behind her, finding Jane her library, tipped back in her chair, staring at the roof and smoking a cigar. Jane felt Maura's presence and looked towards her but said nothing.

"How dare you!" She spat.

"How dare I what?" Jane raised an annoyed eyebrow.

"You know exactly what, don't play dumb! I don't ever want you to kiss me again; I have a fiance, whom I love!"

Jane continued to stare at her in silence making Maura even angrier, "Will you not say something?"

"What be 't ye want me t' say?"

"Sorry would be appropriate."

"And what do I be havin' t' be sorry about?"

"For kissing me, twice!"  
>"Why ortin' ta I? You seemed t' enjoy it Maura." Jane countered.<p>

"You are preposterous!"

"So ye canna deny 't then?"

Maura couldn't, she knew it and it only made her feel all the more helpless and confused.

"Just don't ever do it again!"

Jane stood up seriously and stormed towards Maura and a little of her anger faltered.

"I only kissed ye t' shut ye up so I suggest ye be quiet," She growled.

"Is that why you did it?" Maura was appalled.

"What ye think I did 't on accoun' o' I wanted t'?"

"Well why did you kiss me before, I wasn't speaking!" She countered hotly.

"Because I could." She shrugged.

"I can't believe it but it must be true, you have no heart, you don't care about anyone but yourself." Tears fell down Maura's cheeks and she strode from the library, Jane cursed and followed her, "Where be ye goin' now?"

_Why th' hell ye care 'ere she goes damn 't!_

Maura ignored her and Jane went after her, grabbing her gently by the arm and she swung to slap Jane again but she was ready for it and grabbed her wrist.

"Let go of me," Maura stated calmly and Jane released her, they stared at each other solemnly, Maura's anger was spent and all that was left was sadness, her shoulders slumped and she was unable to meet Jane's eyes.

"I won`t kiss ye anymore until ye ask 't o' me," Jane spoke quietly and Maura's eyes shot to hers, "What? Did you not hear what I just said? I don't want your kiss, God but you are arrogant!"

"Then why did ye kiss me back?"

"I don't know…I was…I am confused."

"You did nay feel confused t' me."

Maura's shoulders slumped even further, "Jane please don't, just don't."

"Alrite. Sit down, please," she added gruffly, "I shall make us breakfast."

Maura nodded without looking at her and sat down in the spot she had been last night. Awhile later Jane brought her a large breakfast not knowing if she was hungry or not, but she didn't expect her to eat the entire meal. Therefore, when Jane sat down beside her and they ate in uncomfortable silence, she was baffled when Maura not only ate all her breakfast but also finished before her; Jane herself had an impressive appetite. She sat there staring at Maura with an odd expression on her face, mouth half full with food.

"Why are you looking at me?" Maura whispered still unable to meet Jane's dark gaze.

"Do ye always eat so much?"

Maura heard the confusion in Jane's voice and finally looked at her, her face was priceless and there was just no way, even under the current circumstances that Maura could not chuckle at the genuine shock she saw.

Jane swallowed her un-chewed food painfully, "What be funny?"

"You…your facial expression."

Jane only raised an eyebrow.

"And yes I do…I have a large appetite."

"Good god I'll say," Jane sputtered which only made Maura chuckle again.

Jane lent back in her seat with a pleased expression on her face, "I dasn't b'lieve 't but I think I've jus' found someone who can challenge me appetite."

The awkwardness between them was slowly starting to dissipate and Maura relaxed a little more.

"I don't like to eat out often; it's not very proper nor polite for a woman to eat so much."

Jane just scoffed, "God I'd be fucked if I had t' live like ye."

"Yes I'd imagine your lack of manners and tendency to curse wouldn't go over well either."

At the sound of Jane's unexpected and deep laugh, Maura tingled all over. Her laugh was infectious and she found herself joining her.

"Truer words be havin' nerebeen spoken."

"Oh I don't know about that." Maura said seriously and making Jane chuckle and shake her head.

"Well I be impressed by yer appetite."

And rather than feel embarrassed by Jane's compliment Maura actually felt warm and a little proud and found herself wanting to impress Jane again.

"Thank you."

Jane stood and looked down at Maura seriously, "I be havin' t' go, will ye be okay until Vince be here?"

"Yes." Maura sobered; truthfully, she could do without seeing Jane for a while.

"Alrite, be seein' ye tonight."

And with that, Jane left and Maura breathed out a trembling sigh, rested her elbows on the dining table and hung her head in her hands.

_Jane what are you doing to me?_


	44. Chapter 44

**Chapter Forty-Four**

Jane returned home from building houses later that night tired and angry after an argument with one of her new men, she pulled off each of her boots roughly throwing them against the floorboards, which alerted Maura that she was home and she put down her book and left Jane's bedroom.

Upon seeing Jane's gruff expression she became wary, "Hello Jane."

"Hey," Jane grunted before heading to the kitchen and returning with a mug of ale before going into her bedroom. Maura followed her cautiously.

"Just give me a minute an' I will make dinner," she said gruffly hands resting above her head on the fireplace mantle. Maura crept a little closer to her imposing form.

"Are you okay?" she whispered quietly.

"Aye."

"Well your body language is saying otherwise, I…"

"Me body what?" Jane swung around moodily and nearly ran into Maura.

"You…your body language, it's telling me your well…angry." She sad nervously because Jane was standing too close looking down at her.

"Well me body language must be fucked on accoun' o' I'm fine."

"Jane I know you're not okay, what happened?"

"God are ye always so nosy?" Jane sighed in frustration running a hand though her hair and Maura huffed, "I am not nosy!"

"If ye say so lass."

"Well you're very controlling," She retaliated and Jane raised a dark eyebrow, "I know this."

"Not to mention angry, horrible, cruel, overbearing, ru..."

"That's enough." Jane warned.

"And you talk over people, like you just did. You're also…"

"Maura."

"Arrogant.'

"Maura!"

"And incapable of loving."

"Enough!" Jane growled, "You be havin' nay idea who I be!"

"And you have not the slightest inking of who I am! You're too preoccupied with yourself!" She flared.

"Good god I canna b'lieve I be havin' this conversation. I jus' got home! Would ye lie down, or read or jus' do somethin' an' stop talkin' so I can be havin' a damn minutes peace!"

Maura left the room and muttered something that sounded very much like 'savage beast' under her breath and Jane rolled her eyes in annoyance.

_Damn lass!_

When Maura returned sometime later, with a book of choice, she glanced around the cozy fire lit room but Jane was nowhere to be seen.

_Good! _She thought smugly. _  
><em>She sat on a lounge chair, crossed her legs and began to read and was just getting into the subject at hand and starting to enjoy it when Jane came barging back in carrying a tray with two plates of food and two mugs. She sat it down on top the bedside table, brought Maura hers before lifting one of the lounge chairs as though it was weightless, and carried it to the fireplace.

"You shouldn't do that with your leg, you can tear the stitches." Maura blurted.

"Just eat yer food." Jane said as she crossed to get hers and returned to the chair by the fire.

"Don't take your bad mood out on me," Maura said with her chin tilted up and Jane tossed a silent glare her way.

Maura's stomach grumbled and she looked down to the piece of steak and mixed vegetables, and sighed in appreciation before eating the entire meal. It was only then she looked to her mug and noticed it was filled with wine.

"Wine," She breathed making Jane glance at her over the lounge chair, "What?" she grunted.

Maura opened and closed her mouth a few times before something came out, "I said wine, it's been a long time since I've had wine, it's my favorite beverage, that and coffee. What is yours?" She asked Jane while smelling the wine in delight. Jane just stared at her, as she smelt the wine and swirled it before taking a small sip and sighing happily, "Oh this is just delicious." On another woman, that demonstration would have looked completely snobby and ridiculous but on Maura, Jane thought it looked cute.

_Cute? Cute! What th' fuck be wrong wi' ye Jane!_

"Well?"

"Huh?" Jane grunted.

"What is your favorite beverage?"

"Ale."

Maura wrinkled her nose slightly "I do not like ale."

"Well I didna ask ye t' drink 't did I?"

"No…I guess you didn't."

"Have ye e'en tried ale?"

"Of course!" Maura bristled.

"Hpmf."

"What?"

"I'm jus' surprised a proper lady such as yersef drinks ale." She intoned sarcastically.

"First of all I do not drink ale, I have only tried ale. Secondly what does my status have to do with what beverages I consume?"

"More than ye realize." Jane stared down to her ale before swirling it and raising an eyebrow at Maura as she stood and sauntered over to her. Maura looked up at her with trepidation, she didn't like the mischievous glint in Jane's eyes, this was a new side to her and while she looked devilishly good looking, Maura was nervous and didn't trust it.

"What?" She tiled her head up and to the side.

Jane stuck her mug in Maura's face, "Try it."

"No thank you." Maura squirmed away from the offending smell of the ale and Jane scoffed.

"Would ye jus' try th' grog already."

"Only if you drink some wine." Maura counteracted.

"I dasn't drink wine."

"Well there you go," Maura paused and scrunched her freckled nose, "Why do you have wine if you don't like it?" This was actually the first civil conversation they had shared together and for once Jane wasn't acting like an angry bore.

"Vince gives 't t' me in th' hope I will drink it."

"Well he's fighting a losing battle there," Maura muttered to herself.

"Excuse me?"

"Oh nothing, just the probability of you doing something for someone else is extremely low, you are a very stubborn person."

"Well, well dasn't ye like t' speak yer mind," Jane growled, "Rather unbecomin' fer a lady dasn't ye think?"

It was Maura's turn to scoff, "Unbecoming? Well I dare say I'm surprised such large complicated words are a part of your vocabulary."

Jane growled darkly, "Look lass, will ye jus' try th' damn ale!"

Maura chuckled deeply and Jane was take off guard by the sound of it but more so her smile, it lit up her whole face and Jane just stared.

_What be ye doin' t' me?_

A woman didn't catch her unawares; it was always the other way around.

"What's the matter, cat got your tongue?" Maura arched her eyebrow playfully and Jane growled as she began to heat up. Maura on the other hand didn't even realize she was flirting with Jane.

Jane flexed her jaw and merely stuck the ale back in Maura's face; she didn't trust her voice right now.

"Oh fine," Maura huffed and took the mug before smelling the thick gluggy substance. It smelt awful and looked worse and Maura cringed before lifting it to her lips and taking a small hesitant sip. She expected to gag but her eyebrows rose in surprise, it was actually sweet yet spicy and not at all unpleasant even if it was a little too thick in consistency.

"This is actually quite good." She said before taking another sip.

"Don't be so surprised," Jane mocked, "We make 't ourselves so o' course 'tis good."

Maura rolled her eyes and stood up, her cheeks where flushed from the wine or so she thought, "May I get some fresh air?"

"What yer nay goin' t' ask me t' try th' wine again?"

"No," She said simply, "I don't think you have it in you."

Jane's eyes darkened in challenge and she picked up Maura's remaining wine and sculled it before swiping her mouth with her sleeve, "How's that?" she scowled.

"Not very impressive." Maura giggled before leaving the room to a flustered, confused Jane.

_What in th' hell jus' happened?_

**J&M**

Maura returned a little while later after getting some fresh air on the back veranda to find the fire burning low and Jane under the covers and all her nervousness and confusion came flooding back. She was worried Jane would try to kiss her again if she lay down and worse that she would not resist her. There was something about her that was compelling that Maura didn't understand, all she knew was that her body seemed to gravitate to Jane's. Maura was still in shock that she had let a woman willingly kiss her twice; she had never been attracted to a woman before and certainly had never entertained the thought of being kissed by one. She tried not to let that fact that she had enjoyed it enter her thoughts, that she had felt Jane's kiss from the top of her head to the tips of each toe, that Garrett's, her fiances kiss made her feel nauseous, but Jane's made her feel alive with a multitude of unknown sensations. Tears slipped down her cheeks as she stood in the middle of Jane's bedroom staring at her sleeping form.

_Oh God Garrett, I am so sorry my love! I have betrayed you! How I miss you so!_

"Are ye goin' t' lie down an' sleep or stare at me all night?" Jane mumbled with her eyes closed and Maura jumped and wiped her eyes, she had thought Jane was asleep.

She quietly took the nightgown off the bed, thankful the material was thicker and went around to Jane's side of the bed and into the bathroom to change into it. When she returned she moved apprehensively to the other side, slipped under the covers and lay on her side facing away from Jane. She was breathing shallow, nervous breaths but her lungs needed more oxygen so she took a larger steadying one and tried to relax, even though she could feel Jane's heat and smell her scent everywhere.

"Relax Maura, go t' sleep," Jane's voice was deep and throaty, and it only made Maura more aware of her. Little did she know Jane was struggling with her own desire not to grab Maura and pull her into her warm embrace. It was becoming harder for Jane to tell herself she wanted to be around the woman more no matter how annoying she was only because she wanted to keep her investment safe, and not because she wanted to keep the actual woman safe. Jane shifted and Maura tensed but when nothing happened after a while the rigidity left her posture and her body sunk into the mattress.

Jane lay on her back staring at the bed canopy regretting kissing the woman, because now that she had and knew how she tasted and how enticing her mouth was she wanted to kiss her again. Jane was not used to being so receptive to another woman, so eager to hear and feel her responses, it was new territory and Jane was just as confused as Maura was. She ground out an exasperated curse word and Maura tensed again.

"Would ye relax?"

"You should take your own advice." Maura spoke in a quiet breathless voice.

"Sucha stupid idea." Jane grouched quietly.

"What is?"

"Nothin'! Be quiet."

"Ever the charming bore aren't you?" Maura was upset enough without Jane being rude to her.

"Oh trust me lass I can be charmin." She defended smugly.

_Why be ye lettin' th' lass' rile ye up ye idiot!_

"I have a hard time believing that when you've been nothing but a nasty brute most the time I've been in your company, honestly I'm quite fascinated to know, how to you even attract a mate?"

_Good God that's 't. _

Jane rolled onto her side so she was facing Maura's back, "Okay miss uppity, spoiled rotten know 't all ye will regret that statement."

This was the most indecent, ridiculous conversation Maura had ever had but nonetheless she was wary of what Jane had just said.

"What do you mean?"

"You think I canna be charmin'? I will prove t' ye I can be more than charmin' lass."

"And how will you prove that?"

"By charmin' th' most uncharmable lass on earth that`s how. Ye!" She growled moodily, frustrated that this woman was insulting her ability to charm any woman she wanted.

"You will do no such thing!" Maura bridled.

"Why? Worried I will actually do 't?" She said complacently.

"No! Because I have a fiance whom I love and will marry when you take me home away from this nightmare!" She shouted now in tears, "He is everything you are not, there is no competition, you don't have any idea what love is!"

"You dasn't know what ye say Maura, I know what love is." Jane rasped dejectedly before throwing the covers off roughly and leaving Maura alone and in regret of what she had said. She had gone too far, but it was not unjustified, she was tired of being treated as less than a person by Jane but she regretted what she had said, she wasn't a mean person but tonight she had been. Tears of sadness and frustration slipped down her soft cheeks and that was how sleep found her.


	45. Chapter 45

**Chapter ****Forty-Five**

Jane paced back and forth on the back veranda with a cigar clenched in her teeth. She was furious that she had put herself in that position, what Maura had said just moments ago had gotten to Jane and it damn well should not of.

"_He is everything you are not, there is no competition, you don't have any idea what love is!"_

It kept playing over in her mind like a mantra and Jane growled in anger and pegged her cigar out onto the grass.

_Fuck! _

Jane Rizzoli knew very well what love was. Love was torture; it was opening yourself up to weakness, to inevitable pain, to suffering, to all the heartache and emotions she didn't want in her life. She had given up on love years ago; her heart was impossibly hardened to it.

She couldn't understand why Maura's words had gotten under her skin, why the woman herself had gotten under her skin, why what she said mattered when no other woman's words had mattered in so very long. They had struck a chord somewhere deep inside Jane, with those few words Maura had made her feel inadequate, like she was unable to be loved. No one else's opinion of her had even factored into her life for years, so why did Maura's? Why was she letting a snobby, uptight, rich woman get the better of her? Maura did not know her and Jane convinced herself that what Maura had said and what she had felt as a result did not matter. She did not need love in her life, nor did she need Maura telling her that she didn't know what it was. Jane ran a hand through her thick hair and returned to her bedroom, she was going to need more rest if she wanted to get back to working on the ships tomorrow. However, little did Jane know, as she quietly slipped back under the covers next to a sleeping Maura, just how much the woman's words had truly affected her, nor how much she would come to need Maura. She didn't realize how much she already cared about the woman sleeping beside her, or understand that was the reason she was becoming so protective of her.

**J&M**

"No please," Maura whispered, "Please don't hurt me."

"No! Oh God no don't. Don't touch me, no please!" Maura thrashed back and forth under the sheets covered in sweat, "Help! Somebody help me!"

"Maura wake up 'tis jus' another dream," Jane pulled at the twisted covers in sleepy annoyance trying to get to Maura.

"No!…"

"Maura!" Jane grabbed her shoulder firmly and shook her out of her nightmare, "'Tis me Jane, yer safe, 't be jus' a bad dream." She rumbled deeply in the darkness.

"Oh God Jane." Maura sobbed, panting from the terror of her dream and Jane impulsively cradled Maura's cheek with her large hand and began stroking behind her ear with her thumb, "Ssshhh you're okay Maura, 'tis alright, breathe deep an' relax."

Maura did as Jane said and her intoxicating scent filled Maura's senses, as did her deep voice and capable hand. Jane was suddenly all around her, Maura was breathing her in and her heart rate crept back to normal, as she now felt completely safe.

"Jane?" She whispered.

"Mmm…"

"Thank…thank you for waking me."

"Go back t' sleep, I'm here." Maura could not see Jane in the darkness, but she could feel her and the heat she emanated. Jane had yet to let go of her face and her strong thumb circling gently behind her ear soothed Maura greatly.

"Jane?" she mumbled.

"Mmm…"

"I'm sorry."

Jane remained silent but her thumb didn't let up on its ministrations.

"Did you hear me?"

"Mmm…I did what fer?"

Maura crept a little closer to Jane and was suddenly pulled into her warm hard body and held protectively by a strong arm. Maura stiffened nervously but she felt Jane's deep voice vibrate through her body, "Why be ye sorry?"

She relaxed into Jane's body once she realized Jane wasn't going to do anything inappropriate.

"I'm sorry for what I said; it was horrible of me, and uncalled for."

Jane chuckled deeply, "Forget 't I be havin' forgotten about it."

"And I'm sure you could probably be quite charming if…if you tried." Maura whispered drowsily, she was slowly drifting back off to sleep now that she was snugged in close to Jane.

Jane chuckled again, "And what be charmin' accordin' t' rich person?'

"Mmm…dancing, according to me," Maura mumbled softly, "Someone who can dance, I don't know how to."

Jane was actually shocked, "Well now, ye canna dance but I can, this be interesting." She rumbled quietly. Maura made no reply and Jane knew she was almost asleep.

"Looks like I shall be havin' t' teach ye t' dance," she spoke to herself.

"So warm." Maura sighed.

"What be?"

But Maura didn't reply and eventually Jane drifted off to sleep as well, a content feeling sinking down into her bones.

**J&M**

Maura awoke early the next day to find herself alone in Jane's bed. She stretched languidly then stood up to go in search of her. As she left the bedroom she heard noise in the kitchen, and followed it but Vince stepped out into the dining room at the last minute and Maura smiled sleepily, "Hello Vince, how are you?"

"Hey Maura, I'm jus' fine"

He sat two plates of breakfast down, toast, eggs and fresh fruit, two glasses of orange juice and Maura sat down quickly. Vince had been meaning to ask Maura if she was going to go back to the cottage anytime soon for it had been cleaned thoroughly days ago. He knew it was none of his business if Maura slept in Jane's bedroom but he had to admit he was curious himself even though he had been pestered into finding out information for Anna on what was happening between the two.

"Do ye know when ye be t' go back t' th' cottage? 'T be cleaned now," he said casually around pieces of bacon and egg.

"I'm not." Maura spoke quietly beginning to flush.

"Not what?' Vince raised his eyebrow.

"Going back to the cottage. I'm staying…staying in Jane's bed now."

"Well 'ere be Jane sleepin'? Th' ship?"

"In her bed…with…with me." Maura blushed and glanced down at her plate unable to meet Vince's eyes.

_Oh now this be definitely interesting!_

"Well now I be nay expectin' this."

"Expecting what!" Maura panicked.

Vince tilted his chair back and chortled in astonishment and amusement.

"Well I'll be damned." He shook his head with a stupid grin on his face.

"What, Vince!"

_Why Maura 't appears t' me ye be havin' captain Jane Rizzoli wrapped around yer wee finger._

"Oh nothin', nothin' Jane has jus' surprised me that`s all."

"How has she surprised you? Have I done something wrong?"

_Anna be goin' t' go crazy when I tell her this._

Maura was worried she had somehow done something wrong, even though she could not imagine what and Vince saw the panic etched into her features and decided it would be best to keep his thoughts to himself. It probably wouldn't go down to well with Maura if he told her what he thought whether it was true or not, although he was pretty sure he was correct, he had known Jane for years.

"Nay Maura ye haven`t done anythin' wrong. Dasn't worry about 't, forget I said anything."

"But why were you laughing? I'm not…I'm not like Jane, I don't sleep with women, even if I don't see anything wrong with…with it."

Maura was highly embarrassed with this whole conversation and wished fervently she hadn't said so much to Vince, he or no one else must never know that Jane had kissed her, twice.

"I know that Maura, I be nay laughin' at ye, I'm laughin' at Jane. Now enough talk what do ye want t' do today?"

Maura still wasn't convinced it wasn't nothing Vince had been thinking but wanted to stop talking about her and Jane and her new sleeping arrangements. She was about to tell Vince what she would like to do when she felt more than heard Jane's presence. She looked to Vince looking over her shoulder and he confirmed her feelings, Jane had come back to the house. The fact that she could sense Jane's presence bothered her, she wasn't someone who liked to rely on feelings, emotions or senses, rather science and facts but there was no denying that she was able to sense when Jane was near her.

"Jane has somethin' happened?"

Maura didn't turn to face Jane; instead, she continued to look at Vince. Her heart rate had picked up and she sat in nervous anticipation, of what she didn't know.

"No nothin' has happened. Ye may go now Vince, I will look after Maura." Maura tensed and held her breath at Jane's words.

"Alright." Vince said with a small knowing smile and Jane glared at it.

"What be ye smilin' at?"

"Oh nothin', I be jus' thinkin' about takin' Elsie fer a walk an' swim."

Jane just grunted somewhere behind Maura and she tensed even more.

Vince successfully stopped the grin that wanted to break out across his face and nodded instead before taking their mugs and plates to the kitchen and leaving through the back door. Maura had yet to look at Jane yet both of them were aware of the palatable tension buzzing between them. It seemed as though both of them were unaware of how to approach one another after the past few occurrences but it was Jane to break the silence.

"Mornin' Maura."

"Morning captain."  
>Jane grimaced and went to stand beside Maura at the table.<p>

"How is your leg?" Maura stated quietly, it was safe ground.

"'Tis fine. I'm goin' t' wash up then ye be goin' t' start lessons."

Maura finally glanced up to Jane and took in her sweaty, scruffy appearance before replying, "Lessons? What lessons." She squeaked breathlessly.

_Why does the sight of you make my heart beat so?  
><em>"I`m goin' t' show ye how t' use some weapons an' learn some self-defense."

Maura was instantly appalled, "What! But I don't want to learn how to use weapons and I already know how to defend myself…well enough. I am not a violent person."

Jane was getting testy already and pulled out a chair and sat on it backwards, forearms resting along the back and Maura gulped.

"It has nothin' t' do wi' violence, an' all t' do wi' protection. Besides I thought ye be th' one who told me ye didna know how t' use a dagger. Thought ye might like t' learn." She spoke offhandedly.

She might have spoken casually but Jane was anything but casual about it, she had been mulling over the idea all morning while cutting down trees to use for timber. She didn't know damn well why but the thought of Maura not being able to protect herself if Jane wasn't able to get to her in a dangerous situation made her angry and worried.

"Surely you have better things to be doing, like building those houses, instead of teaching me things I don't really want to know."

That was true, Jane had a lot more important tasks she could be doing that she needed to do but she had convinced herself it wouldn't take long to teach Maura some basics for a couple of days.

"So if ye came across a leopard again, perhaps a bore, maybe e'en more pirates, yer tellin' me ye wouldna like t' know how t' defend yersef better? What be 't wi' ye women?" Jane snorted mockingly.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

_Why do you always get me so riled up?_

"I'm sittin' here givin' ye th' opportunity t' know how t' take care o' yersef in dangerous situations an' yer actin' like I've asked ye t' marry a goat an' sail th' seven seas wi' 't. Lasses like ye jus' dasn't make sense."

In spite of herself, Maura started giggling at Jane's strange sarcasm and Jane glanced at her moodily.

"What`s so funny? First Vince, now ye?"

She stopped giggling long enough to reply to Jane, "What I can't giggle or smile?"

"I didna say that, I jus' dasn't know why ye be, nothin' be funny," Jane threw her hands up in exasperation and stood, "If this be all one big joke, I shall go an' get Vince."

Her pride had been wounded and she didn't appreciate Maura laughing about her proposal.

Maura sobered and touched Jane's forearm making Jane stiffen, "I'm sorry, I wasn't laughing at you; just the thought of marrying a goat amused me."

"Well I'm still goin' t' get Vince."

"Why do even want to teach me these things." She whispered quietly having yet to let go of Jane's warm arm, she liked the feel of her strength under her fingertips and the fact that Jane hadn't been using that strength against her for a while now, not in a vicious way anyhow.

Jane didn't have an answer to give Maura that would make sense, even she didn't know the reasons why she wanted to teach Maura.

"It's because of my wealth isn't it?" Jane stiffened again and Maura dropped her hand. She looked at Maura but said nothing and Maura tiled her chin up at Jane, "Well I won't do it." Maura stood wanting to go to the library and had almost made it there when Jane spoke.

"No 'tis nay about th' wealth." She said deeply.

Maura turned around to look at her, "Well what is it about?"

"Ye."

Jane had just let go of her pride unconsciously and that was a very rare if not nonexistent occurrence, all she knew is that she wanted to get Maura to learn no matter what it took.

Maura's breathed hitched in her throat, "What?"

"I be on accoun' o' I be worried about yer safety. Now will ye be happy wi' that answer an' let me teach ye." She grumbled testily. She didn't know how to act in a situation such as this, she felt weak, and uncomfortable which made her angry.

Maura stood mutely staring at Jane trying to come to terms with what she had said. Now that she knew Jane was, worried about her she wished she had not prodded her further. Because now that she knew Jane worried about her safety it made her feel warm inside, safe and taken care of.

She should have said no once more but the fact that the brute of a pirate had just admitted that was a miracle, Maura didn't even think she was capable of being worried. Because Jane had been so honest, and despite the dislike she had for such things she said yes.

"Okay, yes you can teach me," She said softly to Jane.

"Thank ye," Jane gruffed, "I'll go wash up."

"Can we just get this…this over with?"

Jane just shook her head, "Very well," but was glad Maura had finally said yes.

"Come wi' me then."


	46. Chapter 46

**Chapter Forty-Six**

Maura followed Jane down into the cavern and watched as she took the torch off the wall and went around lighting up the lanterns. Now that Maura was not in a dangerous situation, she had more time to study the cavern. It was beautiful really, and Maura went down the stairs and ran her hand along a rough wall closest to her, it smelt musty and chalky and her hand came away dusted in a fine powder, which she brushed off onto her dress. She then walked around through the mannequins Jane had set up and over to a large bag hanging towards the back right of the cave. But as she did so she noticed another entrance on the wall, except this was a tunnel that snaked downwards, the ending in darkness. However, she could hear the faint hiss of the ocean. Jane came up behind her and Maura could hear her boots crunching in the soft dirt.

"What's down there?"

"Leads t' a hole in th' cliff side."

"Oh that would be a nice view."

"Aye I guess."

Maura turned to face Jane but she was close forcing Maura to look up at her, "This is a beautiful island Jane."

_Not as beautiful as ye._

Maura meant it and Jane stared down at her quietly, and suddenly the undeniable tension was pulsing between them once more, and although it never really left, there were times such as now that it was more noticeable. They were down here alone is this quiet cave and Jane looked dangerous with firelight dancing off one side of her face, highlighting the hollows and strengths of her features and unknowingly Maura swayed closer to her and watched as her eyes darkened.

"You have beautiful bone structure," She whispered and Jane just continued gazing down at her as if she was looking into Maura's very soul. Her jaw was clenching in and out and Maura wanted to touch her face to feel the strength that would be contained even there but Jane broke the silence.

"If ye dasn't move away from me I'm goin' t' kiss ye again." She rasped.

Maura's eyes widened and she glanced at Jane's lips before taking a few steps back.

"I'm sorry."

Jane walked away back up into the corridor and Maura thought she was leaving her until she stopped at the cabinet to open it. Maura heard her rustling around and she pulled out a small pistol and a larger one and came back down the stair towards her. She handed Maura the smaller, daintier looking pistol and Maura grimaced and hesitated before reaching out and taking it. The wood of the grip was cool and smoothly polished and Maura wasn't expecting the weapon to be as light as it was. Both weapons were in pristine condition and it was clear to Maura Jane was very careful with her belongings.

"Come." Jane said as she walked over to a mannequin.

"Do ye know anythin' about pistols?"

"No not really." Maura blushed and looked away.

"Do nay look away, watch what I do."

Maura looked nervously back to Jane.

"Okay this piece o' metal stickin' up here be called th' steel an' this one behind 't th' cock, and th' part where th' bullet comes ou' be th' barrel."

Jane was already absorbed in her description and Maura listened intently. She was in her element; this was what Jane knew, what she understood, and what she enjoyed. Maura sensed this, saw it in the way she handled the weapon with respect and because it was something Jane was passionate about Maura began to take genuine interest. Jane ran through the process of loading the smaller weapon and Maura was fascinated by her long strong fingers as they deftly accomplished loading the powder, fiber wad, ball and another wad onto the barrel before taking the ram rod off the side of the pistol and pushing it all down the barrel on top of the power. She explained everything she was doing with confidence and in a way that was easy to understand, and Maura quickly found herself in awe of Jane and what she was showing her.

"Do ye understand what I be havin' said so far?"

"Yes." Maura nodded enthusiastically and Jane chuckled.

"What?"

"I think I'll make a weapons nut ou' o' ye yet. Okay gently pull th' cock back until ye hear one click. Now yer goin' t' prime th' powder like this," Jane demonstrated before continuing, "Then pull th' cock back th' whole way an' aim. Cover yer ears."

Maura did so as Jane aimed at the mannequins head and fired, the pistol echoed loudly in the cavern making Maura jump. She opened her eyes and looked at the mannequin, which had lost its head.

"Now 'tis your turn."

Maura eyed the pistol with a new interest and took it from Jane's hand; however, she found out quite quickly that Jane made the whole process look easy. She floundered somewhat seeing it was her first time loading a weapon, that and the fact she was nervous under Jane's intent stare.

"How am I doing?" she said after awhile looking up to Jane.

"Good, ye probably dasn't want t' hear this but yer a natural."

"Really?" A beautiful smile lit up Maura's face and Jane's stomach muscles tightened.

_Damn but yer beautiful._

"Aye really."

Maura looked down, smile still in place and continued to load the pistol. When she was finished Jane took it from her and inspected it, making sure everything was rammed down into the barrel before priming the powder and handing the pistol back to Maura.

"Okay aim at th' same mannequin." Maura did so and Jane came up close behind her, placed her hands on Maura's hips, pulled her snugly back into her front, and put a hand on each of her elbows. Maura stiffened perceptibly and as she did her backside rubbed into Jane's crutch and Jane ground her teeth together painfully, she needed to try to concentrate on what she was doing, not on Maura's backside or the smell of her soft hair wafting up into her senses.

"Alright," she rasped before clearing her throat and bending to speak closer to Maura's right ear, "Bend ye elbows slightly an' aim at th' chest."

Jane's hot breath fanned over Maura's ear and she shivered at the wonderful feeling. Her head was automatically trying to lean back onto Jane's shoulder so Jane could have access to her neck, but Maura's mind was resting her body's whims. She felt hot all over and it was extremely difficult to concentrate on aiming when all she could feel, smell and hear was Jane.

"Aim a wee higher than that, that`s his crotch." Jane chuckled and another spasmodic shiver went down Maura's spine as she blushed. She knew Jane could feel her shiver and it embarrassed her, the whole situation was too intimate and Maura had lost her focus. Jane's hands tightened slightly on her elbows and lifted her arms up to place her aim where it should be.

"Aimin' at th' crotch be good if ye want t' inflict a non-life threatenin' wound but I want ye t' be able t' shoot t' kill. Th' chest be th' best place t' start on accoun' o' 'tis th' biggest target on someone's body." Jane spoke quietly into Maura's ear, enjoying the way she would shiver every now and then.

"I've got ye so when yer ready fire." Maura shut her eyes and pulled and the force sent her back into Jane's strong body, but Jane wrapped her arms around Maura's waist to steady her. Her ears where ringing loudly but she was filled with exhilaration from shooting a pistol and being so close to Jane. Jane leaned closer to Maura's ear because she knew it would be harder for to hear, "That be good, but next go I would keep yer eyes open, 't might help." She let go of Maura's waist and stepped back and Maura missed the contact immediately.

"That was better than I thought it would be." She laughed and ran her hand through her hair before looking at the large hole she had blown through the mannequin's chest, right where a man's heart was.

"You want t' go again?"

"Yes!"

Maura reloaded the pistol and Jane checked it over before she aimed at a different mannequin and waited for Jane to come up behind her, but she didn't and Maura twisted her neck to glance back at Jane.

"You dasn't need me this time."

Maura didn't know whether to be glad or not but looked back to the front and aimed the pistol at the chest bending her elbows like Jane had told her. When she was confident with her aim she fired and stumbled backwards but Jane was there, Maura slammed back against her, and Jane grabbed her hips. Maura looked at her shot and noticed it was in the chest but not a heart shot and she was upset until Jane spoke to her.

"That be a good shot on yer own, yer better than I thought ye`d be."

Maura smiled and turned her head to the right to look up at Jane and her hands tightened on Maura's hips, she could easily reach down and kiss her.

_Goddammit!_

She pulled away and Maura turned around.

"That's enough fer today," she said distractedly, "Ye did well."

Jane took the pistol from Maura, "Come on."


	47. Chapter 47

**Chapter Forty-Seven**

They walked back upstairs in silence and Jane placed the two pistols on the table in the ship room, intending to clean them later.

"I'm goin' fer a swim, I won`t be long."

"But what about your leg? You can't get it wet."

"I be havin' done this many times, I'll be fine."

Maura was not convinced but didn't want to question Jane because she didn't want to end up arguing.

"Would…would you mind if I came with you then, I enjoyed swimming last time with the children."

Jane was surprised by her request but did not show it. Then an idea came to her head and before she had time to debate why it had popped into her mind or why she wanted to even share it with Maura she had made her decision.

"Okay, wait here."

Jane went and got Maura some swimming clothes, two towels, went back to the ship room and handed the clothes to her before they went out the back door. Maura walked down the steps and headed across to the creek but when she got there, she noticed Jane was not with her but over near the forest to the left of the creek.

"Come wi' me." Jane stated simply and against her better judgment, Maura went to her. Jane lifted up the leaf of a plant that was almost as tall as she was and walked past it onto a narrow path. Maura stepped in after her and looked to Jane.

"Where are we going?" She asked unsure.

"Ye will see." Jane shrugged before setting off along the narrow overgrown path, it was much cooler and damper in the forest than out in the open and water droplets brushed against them as they passed the plants. Maura listened to the chirping of crickets and the sounds of birds and monkeys, the forest was teaming with life. They walked past a plant that was covered in beautiful purple flowers and Maura gasped and picked a few and braided them into her hair as she walked. They had been walking for at least fifteen minutes on a slight, winding incline when they neared closer to where Jane was taking Maura she heard the unmistakable sound of heavy, rushing water. The sound grew louder and the air colder the closer they got to their destination then Jane stopped suddenly, and Maura nearly ran into her back.

She pulled another leaf aside and ushered Maura through first, and Maura opened her mouth in shock.

"Oh Jane," she sighed in awe, "It's magnificent."

It was hard to hear over the rush of the thunderous waterfall that was the center of Maura's focus but Jane could see her face and knew she liked it without hearing her words. Fine mist sprayed absolutely everywhere from the falls coating their skin and every living organism that surrounded it. Maura's smile widened as she looked around the large waterhole and lush, wet surrounding forest. However, what she liked the most, even more than the waterfall was the fact that Jane had brought her here. She did not know or understand why but it was a beautiful place, and a wonderful gesture from Jane and before she stopped to think about what she was about to do she reached up on tippy toes and kissed Jane on the cheek.

"Thank you." She mouthed and Jane nodded before putting the towels down and walking along the rock bank towards the falls. Maura watched her to see what she would do, she looked small against the raging water and suddenly she dived in. Maura waited for her to surface but when she didn't she became worried and walked closer to the edge and Jane's head popped up and startled her.

"Change an' come in," She shouted before free-styling away to give Maura some privacy. She went back behind the leaf to the path and changed before stepping back out. Maura touched the water with her toes, it was freezing and she wasn't sure if she wanted to swim after all.

"What be ye waitin' fer?"

"It's cold." She shouted back. Jane rolled her eyes and swam over to the bank before pulling herself out on strong arms. She stalked towards Maura with a mischievous gleam in her eyes and Maura back peddled quickly.

"Oh no please Jane don't!" But Jane just kept advancing and she was quicker than Maura.

"Please, please don't." She squealed but Jane was having none of it, she lifted Maura into her arms and she latched her arms around Jane's neck and closed her eyes as Jane strode sure-footed back to the waterhole and jumped in with a screaming Maura. The water was absolutely freezing and Maura screamed again under the surface and Jane let go of her but she kept hold of Jane. They surfaced together Jane chuckling and Maura shivering and spluttering, "Oh God, that was so mean." Her teeth chattered and she tightened her grip around Jane's neck as Jane kept them afloat easily in the deep water.

"It's freezing."

"Aye, but ye will warm up."

Maura suddenly realized how close they were, that Jane looked wonderful wet, and she could feel her shoulder muscles moving rhythmically to keep them afloat. They stared at each other a few moments before Maura let go of Jane's neck and swam away but Jane only swam after her.

Maura eventually warmed up more and decided to swim closer to the crashing waterfall.

"Take hold o' me shirt." Jane shouted before finding Maura's hand under the water and pulling it towards the bottom of her shirt.

"Take a breath an' let me lead you."

Maura nodded and Jane went under and Maura took a breath and followed suit. Jane swam powerfully and Maura was pulled along easily without swimming but decided to swim because she did not want Jane to do all the work. They swam together in the darkness for what seemed like forever but was in reality was not very far, but Maura was running out of air. Jane began to swim up and as they broke the surface Maura breathed in deeply and let go of Jane's shirt. It was pitch black, cold and all Maura saw was the rushing waterfall from the other side.

"We are behind the waterfall?" She shouted.

"Aye."

Maura was amazed, she had never done something like this before, never swam in a waterhole or behind a waterfall, had never fired a gun or seen Mayan ruins and all of it apart from the ruins was Jane's doing. It was a completely different way of life than what she was used to, but it was growing on her and she giggled like a little girl.

Jane found her hand under the water and she pulled Maura towards a rock shelf, she pulled herself up easily then felt for Maura's hand and helped her out. The cool, sulfur-smelling air hit Maura's wet body and she shivered violently. She heard Jane rustling around and then curse before a flare of fire lit up the cave as she lit a torch. She picked it up and went to light three more in the small area and it was then Maura was able to make out the source of the sulfur. A natural hot spring bubbled invitingly at the back of the cave and Maura smiled, "This place is absolutely amazing." She did not hesitate and went straight into the warm steamy water, and moaned loudly before flushing.

"Told ye you`d warm up." A fist of pleasure had punched her in the stomach at hearing Maura's moan but she tried to ignore the sensation and stepped into the hot spring.

"Oh this is heaven," Maura sighed as she lent back against the rock, eyes closed, her creamy neck fully exposed to Jane's hungry eyes. She had to look away from Maura or she would not hesitate to go to her and kiss her neck thoroughly. They remained silent for quite a while, in their own thoughts, and Jane was able to relax and enjoy the heat sinking into her bones and the sulfur cleaning her skin. She did not let herself think about any of the things that she was doing with Maura that weren't normal for her to do with her prisoners. In fact, these things weren't normal for her to do with any woman.

She was almost asleep when she heard Maura stir lightly in the water.

"Are you awake?" She whispered.

"Mmmph…"

"Thank you for this Jane, you didn't have to take me here."

"Nay problem." She yawned lazily.

"I…I just have one question though," she stated seriously "Why are you doing this?"

"Thought ye`d enjoy it." She said sleepily, slowly drifting in and out of awareness, her guard down. Maura released Jane was practically asleep and cautiously crept closer to her. Her dark curls were matted to her forehead with sweaty steam and her face was shinny with it. Her dark eyelashes clung together and Maura studied every inch of her strong face, nervous with excitement over what she couldn't fathom. Jane was a wild, dangerous predator and something about that thrilled Maura, she wanted desperately to touch Jane's face, and she found it almost impossible not to. These uncontrollable emotions and feelings inside her were frightening her, she should not be feeling this way or acting so brazenly but when she was around Jane, she couldn't help it. One minute she was unsure and aloof, the next she wanted to touch Jane.

_Why do you make me feel as though I am being torn into pieces inside?_

Maura apprehensively let her hazel eyes wonder down Jane's muscled neck, over pronounced collarbones and lower until she could make out the outline of her heavy breasts through the wet material, she felt all kinds of nervousness and excitement as she stared at them and her mouth went strangely dry. Maura could make out the shade of her dark nipples against the cloth and without warning her groin convulsed in a wave of pleasure and her hand flew to her mouth just in time to catch the low moan that escaped. Maura was horrified, she had seen so many breasts in her line of work, but staring at Jane's made her feel as though the most intimate part of her was somehow caving in on itself yet she couldn't take her eyes of them. She noticed a small mole between them, impulsively went to touch it, and her hand was half way there before she pulled it back as though she had been bitten. Jane's breathing was evening out and Maura knew she was genuinely asleep now, and she wanted to leave, she needed space away from Jane but she felt torn because she did not want to wake her up. Maura tore her eyes away from Jane's breasts, distressed by her reaction to them and closed her eyes tightly. In fact, she was distressed over the way she had reacted to Jane as of late, not just now. Her body hummed with awareness and life whenever Jane was close. Maura cracked an eye open and glanced at Jane's breasts once more and a delicious ache cramped its way down her stomach into her groin.

_Oh gosh what is happening to me? I've never had such feelings before; surely, there is something wrong with my body. Maybe I picked up some strange sickness aboard Spiritus or perhaps on the island. Maybe if I touched her the feelings might go away. Don't be ridiculous you can't just go touching her! But she just touches you whenever she wants she's even kissed you!_

Maura grew frustrated with her internal battle and huffed.

_Perhaps I should just wake her up._

Maura went closer to Jane in the steam had no awareness that she licked her lips as she watched a drop of sweat run down Jane's neck to disappear between her breasts. She crept closer still until her leg bumped against Jane's hard thigh and she grunted softly but remained asleep.

"Jane?"

"Jane please wake up."

She tentatively reached out and pushed against Jane's shoulder and she stirred and opened her eyes.

"You fell asleep."

"Mmm...aye lass that`s generally what happens when yer in a hot spring."

Maura watched Jane as she yawned and stood up in the spring and Maura moved away a little, she pulled herself out, held her hand out for Maura, and helped her out.

"Oh no! Please don't make me go back in the water." Maura stood close behind Jane as if she would somehow save her from it.

"Sorry lass." Jane said over her shoulder before moving away to extinguish the lamps and plunge them into darkness once more. Jane found her hand and grasped it, "Ready?"

"No! Jane please, isn't there another way?"

"Fraid not."

Maura whimpered and Jane stepped forward and jumped and Maura had no choice but to jump too. She hit the water and it was that cold she panicked, it felt like ice numbing her whole body after the warmth of the hot spring. She was too cold to even scream and came up stuttering, coughing, and grasped Jane around the neck unexpectedly, shivering miserably. Jane chuckled deep in her throat.

"You're…you're laugh…laughing at…at me?" She chattered.

Jane put an arm around her waist, "Shift round behind me." Maura did as Jane asked and hung on tightly, pressing her front into Jane's back to take in as much of her warmth as she could. Jane struggled to pay attention with Maura's ample breasts pressed firmly against her back, her nipples were stiff from the cold and rubbed against Jane's shoulder blades and she was almost to the point of losing control. "Do nay hold on so tightly, move back a wee bit." She said gruffly.

"Sorry."

"Take another breath an' let me do th' work."

Maura did and Jane swam them under the waterfall and closer to the bank before surfacing. Maura let go, swam numbly towards a sandy bank, pulled herself out shivering, and went straight for a towel, she wrapped herself up thoroughly and watched Jane leave the water and do the same.

"This…this was fun, apart from…from now…thank you."

Jane nodded, she wasn't used to such praise and it made her feel uncomfortable. Maura looked freezing and Jane quietly pulled her into her arms to try and warm her, Maura didn't even question it, she was so cold and grateful for Jane's warmth as she snuggled her head under Jane's chin. Maura very much preferred this gentler side of Jane compared to her harsh side, and wondered what she had done to change the way Jane acted around her. They stayed that way until Maura was warmer and pulled back. "Thank you." She whispered up to Jane and they made their way back to Jane's house.


	48. Chapter 48

**Chapter Forty-Eight**

The rest of the day passed uneventfully for Maura, as she stayed at the house while Jane went back to work cutting timber. She was surprised Vince didn't come to watch over her, and left to her own devices without distraction, she thought of her family, of her father mostly and her heart cramped painfully. She missed him so much that it was hard to breath, she longed for the sight of his handsome face, and one of his warm bear hugs. She felt the tears threatening behind her eyes and in an effort to distract herself went to read, but she couldn't focus, and spent minutes reading the same paragraph over, and not really reading it at all. She gave up in frustration and decided that maybe she could cook something, she hadn't cooked for weeks and missed doing so terribly and it was something that usually kept her distracted. However, a problem that became apparent immediately was Jane's lack of food in her panty. Maura shook her head actually not surprised by this. She would have to go and find Vince and ask him for some fresh food, she wanted to cook something for dinner but wouldn't be able to make much with the pantry's current stock. She left the house and wondered down to the village in the late afternoon and the first person she saw that she knew was Barry, he spotted her too, put down the tools he was using to repair a house, and wiped the sweat off his forehead with a dirty sleeve.

"Hello Maura, how be ye?" He smiled at her briefly and Maura smiled back, she felt comfortable around Barry.

"Hello Barry, I am fine thank you how are you?"

"I be fine. Is thar anythin' I can help ye wi'? Be ye lookin' fer Jane? Vince."

"Actually I wanted to cook some dinner but Jane doesn't have much food in her kitchen."

Barry chuckled, "That dasn't surprise me one bit, come wi' me."

She followed Barry to his house and turned to her, "What type o' meat an' vegetables do ye want?"

"Oh I'm not sure."

"Well Jane loves beef an' potatoes be basically th' only vegetable she will eat."

"Oh no that just won't do! What an unhealthy diet, she needs to eat more vegetables." Maura was flabbergasted and Barry raised a knowing brow but said nothing.

"If it's not too much trouble, can I have beef, potatoes and as many vegetables as possible."

"You won`t get Jane eatin' them, but good luck trying."

Maura tiled her chin, "I will get her eating them, don't you worry, I'm a doctor, and a persuasive one."

Barry chuckled once more and disappeared inside coming out a few minutes later with a basket filled with an assortment of fresh vegetables, eggs, milk, butter, cheese, beef and potatoes."

"Barry this is too much, are you sure?"

"Aye 'tis fine."

"Thank you." She said warmly before taking the basket. They talked a few more minutes before Maura went back to the house to prepare the vegetables. She found some flour in the pantry, thankfully weevil free, and used it along with the milk, butter and cheese to make a Mornay sauce. Maura hummed and sang quietly while she cooked, enjoying it immensely as she loved to cook. Pouring the sauce all over the mixed vegetables, she then lit the wood stove in the corner of the kitchen and sat the tray of vegetables along with the steak in there to cook. Once the beef was nearly cooked she placed some cheese on top and let it melt before taking all the food out to place on the wooden island in the center of the kitchen. Had been dark for a while now and she lit a lamp and used its light to plate up the food and take it too the dining table. She wanted wine and ale for Jane but didn't know where she kept it so she would have to wait until Jane came home, she hopped she wouldn't be long so the dinner didn't go could and her wish was granted. Jane came in the French doors a few minutes later, tired, dirty and worn out and she saw Maura sitting quietly at the dining table, dinner served, candles lit and stopped at though she had hit a wall. Maura was fidgeting nervously with her dress under the table; she hoped she had not angered Jane by doing this. Jane pulled off her leather jacket, hung it over a dining chair, and walked closer to Maura with expressionless features.

"What be this?"

"I hope…you don't mind, I felt like cooking so I made us dinner."

Jane just stared at her and Maura thought she was angry and her heart sank.

"I'm sorry, I should have asked, I…I will clean this away." She said quietly.

"No," Jane said gruffly, "I be back in a moment."

Maura sat downhearted and waited for Jane to return from the kitchen and when she did, she sat a mug of wine in front of her then sat down beside her.

"You don't have to eat this…really I'm sorry I should have…"

Jane cut off Maura's rambling with a hand over hers, "Maura will ye jus' eat th' meal wi' me."

"You mean you aren't angry."

"Nay lass," She spoke quietly and looked Maura right in the eyes making her feel weak in the knees and she was grateful she was sitting down.

"Thank ye."

"You're welcome," she said softly and her heart resumed its steady beating happy in the knowledge that Jane appreciated the meal.

Jane picked up a fork and eyed the Mornay before stabbing a piece of vegetable, "What be this?" she asked suspiciously and Maura tried not to laugh at the worried expression on her face.

_You! Jane Rizzoli are scared of a tiny vegetable?_

"It's broccoli."

"'Tis green."

"Yes broccoli is green."

"And what be this stuff?" She grunted stabbing a whole pile of cabbage.

"Cabbage. Surely you can't be scared of some vegetables Jane, they are good for you."

"Of course I be nay scared," she growled, "I jus' dasn't like them."

"Try them, they are lovely with the sauce, Barry told me you don't like vegetables so I made the sauce so they would be more palatable for you."

Jane stabbed the broccoli once more and grimaced at it before putting it in her mouth. Maura had never seen Jane like this, she was almost acting childish and it astounded her as well as warmed her, it was rather cute. She chuckled as Jane chewed and then glared at her. Maura started eating her meal but kept glancing at Jane from the corner of her eye every so often, happy to see her attempting to eat some of the vegetables. They didn't talk much but the silence was comfortable and Maura found she was enjoying herself and wondered if Jane was also.

"Was it okay?" Jane had actually eaten all her vegetables and Maura wasn't sure whether she did because she had to or enjoyed them, but for some reason she really wanted Jane to like her cooking. She looked at her nervously awaiting her answer.

"Aye 't be good, even th' vegetables but dasn't ye dare breathe a word t' anyone that I ate them." She pointed a long finger at Maura and jabbed her in the shoulder. Again, Maura thought she was angry until she caught the roguish grin on Jane's face, her top lip had a dangerously attractive tilt to it, Maura had never seen her smile before, and she stared at it unashamedly.

"Do I be havin' somethin' in me teeth?"

Maura jumped and blushed, "Oh no sorry, I was just admiring your smile."

"Ye where hey?" Jane cocked a playful eyebrow and smiled the same roguish smile once more.

"Uh…yes…" Maura stammered. She was taken completely off guard by Jane's cheeky mood; the woman was so complex.

"Well maybe I ortin' ta smile more often if 't pleases you."

_Oh yes it pleases me very much._

Jane was not this slightest bit in tune to the fact that she was flirting with Maura, the both of them were completely blind to how they acted around each other and unaware that Vince and Barry had started noticing Jane's different behavior even though she didn't.

"Yes you…you should. Smiling is good at lowering stress levels, releasing endorphins and boosting the immune system."

Jane just gawked at her blankly.

"God I'm sorry, I do that sometimes, well often…I…I'll just takes the plates to the kitchen."

Maura hurried away terribly embarrassed and Jane shook her head before standing to go draw a bath. Her leg was sore so she only filled the bath a little and sponged herself clean, avoiding the stitches before drying, dressing, brushing her hair until it shone and tying it with a thin leather strap. She was going to start teaching Maura to dance tonight and she didn't know why but she wanted to be clean and look well presentable for her. She straightened her collar, let the top of her shirt hang open, left her weapons off, quickly brushed, and polished her boots before putting them on. Lastly, she went to the dining room and slipped her black leather jacket back on and found Maura reading quietly in the study.

She stood tall and spoke gruffly, "Maura?"

Maura looked up from her book and her mouth fell open, "Oh my…" she whispered, "Jane?"

Jane did not know why this mattered so much to her, but her heart was beating steadily in her chest and her palms began to sweat as she walked towards Maura and held out her hand.

Maura looked at her in fear and excitement, "Take me hand." Maura did and Jane pulled her up and watched her closely, "I want t' teach ye t' dance, ye said ye dasn't know how t'. Will ye let me?"

Maura didn't even hear what Jane said because she was too caught up in the sight of her, she was tall and dashing, her hair shone like obsidian, and once again, Maura felt pleasantly weak and achy.

"Mmm…?" She breathed out.

"Can I teach ye t' dance?" This time Maura heard her clearly and stiffened.

"Oh, oh no…I mean that would be wonderful but I…well my fiance is going to teach me, he said he would."

Jane's jawed tightened and she let go of Maura abruptly. The thought of Maura's fiance made Jane want to punch him hard in the face.

_God what be wrong wi' me, why do I feel like stranglin' th' man right now._

"Very well." She said before turning away and Maura's heart sank.

_Oh Jane!_

"Jane wait…please!" She shouted frantically and Jane stopped but remained facing away from her. Maura went to stand behind her strong, broad back, "I'm sorry Jane; please don't be mad at me." Jane tensed but remained silent. Maura tentatively reached up and touched her warm shoulder blade and Jane groaned, "Do nay do that Maura," she whispered fiercely.

"Why…why not? You touch me all the time."

Maura would do anything; she just didn't want her to leave. Without really thinking, she ran her hand down Jane's shoulder blade feeling the muscles bunch and flex beneath her touch.

_This is what my touch does to your body? I can make you move this way?_

"Maura don't," Jane warned and she dropped her hand and sighed, "Okay you can."

"What?"

"Teach me," she whispered.

Jane finally turned around to face her, "'Tis fine, ye dasn't be havin' t'. I dasn't understand 't but I will respect it."

"Jane," she placed a hand on her shoulder, "Teach me please." Just hearing those words come from her, that she would respect Maura's decision if she had to was what made Maura change her mind. Jane wasn't forcing her to do it, as she had forced her to do things when they had first been around each other. There was a softer side beginning to creep through Jane and Maura was enamored by it and did not want her to hide it away, she wanted to be Jane's friend. She didn't know when or how she knew this but know it she did. Their bond was fragile but already Maura could not stand the thought of it breaking. Jane gazed into her eyes for a few moments before nodding slightly and taking her hand. She took Maura to the ship room and lit a couple of lanterns before coming back to stand in front of Maura.

"Are ye sure?"

"Yes," And to prove her point Maura placed her hand on Jane's hard shoulder once more, and squeezed it gently.

"We will start off slow, 'tisn`t all that hard, jus' let me lead ye."

"Okay," Maura said nervously.

"Your nervous dasn't be relax into me."

Jane put both her capable hands on Maura's small waist and pulled her into her own body and Maura slipped the hand that had been on Jane's shoulder around her neck and the other behind her back.

"Aye," Jane whispered down to her, "That's better, dancin' be like two bodies movin' as one just let 't happen."

Maura swallowed thickly, her eyes enormous as she looked up to Jane, her stomach felt as though it were full of butterflies and her groin was tightening and creating that odd moisture again.

Jane began to move in small steps, "Follow where I go. One, two, three, aye like that."

Jane led her slowly around the room turning her around and continuing to tell her one, two, three for rhythm until Maura was confident and no longer needed her help. Jane then took her hand from her back and held both their hands straight out to the side and continued the stepping movements but picked up their pace. It wasn't long until they were gliding around the room and Maura threw her head back and laughed in delight and it was at that moment Jane knew she wanted to be the one to make her laugh like that as much as she could. Naturally, Jane pulled her body in closer and Maura felt light headed at the contact of Jane's hard thighs rubbing against hers, they were so warm and strong. She rested her forehead on Jane's shoulder and breathed in her natural scent. Jane slowed them and let go of Maura's hand, placing hers back on Maura's waist. She lent her chin on top of Maura's head and they melded together, slowly shuffling around the floor.

"You're dancin', might be a simple one but 'tis still dancing." Jane murmured.

"It's perfect. Thank you." Maura turned her head and snuggled her face into Jane's neck.

Jane was not aware that her body could ache with the need to hold a woman so and she didn't want to let Maura go, she would stay with her here as long as Maura would dance with her. This was new territory for Jane, and it thrilled and frustrated her at the same time because she found herself losing more of her control and in her experiences through life, when she let go of her control or let her guard down something bad always happened. However, Jane was finding it harder to resist Maura as the days passed; she was like a magnet pulling her in. Jane wasn't aware of the exact moment she had begun seeing Maura in a different light, only that it had happened and Maura wasn't like she had first assumed. In fact, so far Maura was unlike anyone she had known.

"Jane?"

"Mmm…"

"How long have you been dancing?"

"Oh," she sighed, "Maybe ten years or more, I'm nay really sure."

"I'm surprised you dance."

"I be surprised ye dasn't." Jane chuckled and Maura smiled against her neck making Jane falter slightly. They continued to sway slowly around room for some time but Maura was drifting off to sleep in Jane's arms and stopped moving her feet. Jane picked her up, took her to the bedroom and lay her down on her bed. Maura followed her with sleepy eyes as she took off her jacket, went to her side and sat on the bed. She pulled off her boots and Maura watched the fabric stretch over her taught back muscles. She got herself under the covers, too tired to change into her nightgown and was almost asleep as Jane extinguished the lantern and lay back with an arm behind her head and debated whether to take Maura in her arms. Usually if Jane was with a woman in bed she would just fall asleep after sex without any desire to hold her, she didn't even care if they left. But after having Maura in her arms and feeling the satisfaction it gave her keeping her warm and safe, that she was helping her and being useful only made her want to hold her again. But she decided against it not wanting to disturb Maura's sleep. However early in the morning Maura had another nightmare and she ended up in Jane's arms until daybreak.


	49. Chapter 49

**Chapter Forty-****Nine**

The next few days passed with the same routine for both of them. Maura would have breakfast with Vince then they would walk with Elsie around the village watching the various building, and ship repairs being done before walking along the beach and back to the house. Maura would then spend a few hours reading and Vince either read, did paper work for Jane or napped. Then she would have an afternoon weapons session with Jane in the cavern for an hour or so before Jane went back to work and Maura would cook them dinner. At nights, they would eat dinner together then Jane would help her improve her dancing before she retired after a long day and Maura would read for a while before joining her. Maura's nightmares had thankfully stopped and Jane was grateful of that for Maura's sake but without them, she had no reason legitimate reason to hold Maura at night and it frustrated her like nothing she ever knew. Maura was right next to her yet she could not touch her. However, she had no reason to know Maura felt the same way, she missed the mental and physical comfort that came with being so close to Jane, but she was too frightened and unsure to initiate contact. Then she felt guilty for wanting that contact from her when she had a fiance, but surely, there was nothing wrong with letting a woman comfort her, it was not as though they were kissing again. But Maura didn't know whether it was right or not so, she didn't try but looked forward to their dancing time each night when they were close. They had not spoken much over the days, only when necessary but it was clear to Maura that Jane was slowly mellowing around her, although the actual reason was unclear.

It was ate on a Friday afternoon and Maura was cooking dinner for herself and Jane when she came home earlier than she had been the last few days and found Maura in the kitchen and the first thing she noticed was the material wrapped around her forearm.

"Maura what happened t' yer arm?"

She was sweating lightly from the heat of the stove and went to wipe it from her brow but used the arm she had just burnt and hissed as she rubbed it across her forehead.

"Oh darn I forgot about it already!"  
>Jane stepped closer to her and took her arm and Maura watched silently as she unwrapped the material so find a blistered, angry red burn.<p>

"What th' fuck did ye do?" Jane growled out of concern but Maura thought it was anger.

"I dropped a heavy pan on it that had been in the stove."

"Go an' sit down an' let me finish cookin'."

"Oh but Jane…"

"But Jane nothin', go."

"Oh you're impossible, I can finish cooking, I am not a useless invalid!" Maura huffed and with that, she stormed from the kitchen leaving Jane snarling at the utensils as she used them.

"Damn lass, I be only tryin' t' be helpful," she grumbled, "She`s th' one that`s impossible, nay me."

Jane finished cooking and brought everything to the table before going to get Maura from her library. Maura merely tilted her chin and walked past her and Jane rolled her eyes and followed her to the dining table. Both of them were just as stubborn as the other and neither wanted to say sorry, Jane didn't even know what to say sorry for but towards the end of the meal Maura looked to Jane sadly.

"I'm sorry."

"Aye." Jane said moodily as she stabbed a vegetable and shoved it her mouth, a vegetable Maura had gotten her eating and kind of enjoying without trying, she thought ruefully.

"I shouldn't have assumed you were thinking that, you were only helping me."

"Aye." Jane said once more.

"Now you really are being impossible. What do you want me to do? Grovel at your feet and ask for forgiveness?"

Jane tiled her chair and lent back, hands behind her head, "Perhaps," She said with a sly grin.

"I hope you fall backwards off your chair," Maura intoned smugly before clearing the table leaving Jane grinning to herself before rising to follow Maura into the kitchen.

"The boys be o'er soon t' play poker, we won`t be able t' dance."

"Oh." Maura turned away and tried to hide the disappointment she felt, she was thoroughly enjoying learning to dance, and more so with Jane. She was so excited to show Garrett what she had learned when she returned home. But going home meant no more Jane in her life. She pushed the thought away quickly; she did not even want to try sorting all that out tonight. Jane sensed her disappointment, put a strong hand on Maura's slender shoulder, and stepped closer behind her making her tense.

"I be sorry Maura."

Her warm breath tickled Maura's neck and she grew warm inside herself.

"It's…it's okay."

"I will make 't up t' ye tomorrow night."

"Really Jane it's okay, it is your life you may do as you wish."

For some reason Maura's calmness and reason annoyed Jane, she was disappointed Maura did not seem as bothered by the fact they would not be dancing as she herself felt. She would much rather be dancing with Maura and that realization stunned her as she enjoyed poker with the men. It was a time where she could just forget everything and have some fun and bonding time with her brothers, Barry and Vince, which did not happen as much as it used to in the past. She wanted to dance with Maura but could not say no to her men, it had been too long since they had shared this time together.

"I need time wi' me men t' bond, ye understand?"

Jane had no idea why she was telling Maura that but she wanted her to understand she wasn't just pushing their dancing sessions aside as though it meant nothing to her, because, strangely enough they did. Maura finally turned around and put her hand on Jane's shoulder, "Jane, I have only one request."

"Aye?"

"Can I please join you all?"

"Ye may, I dasn't know how th' others will take 't but 'tis me house so tough bloody luck. But a lady watchin' poker?" She raised a mock eyebrow.

"Jane please," Maura said in exasperation, "I am not like other women. If the men would be offended by me being there, I won't join you, truly it's…"

"Fine wi's us!" Barry and Vince chorused behind them and Jane lept back from Maura like a startled lion and growled angrily just the same, "Good god ye two, ye could be havin' fuckin' knocked!"

Maura was blushing furiously and Barry and Vince were laughing together but shocked just the same. The scene they had just walked in on was scene they had never witnessed. Sure, they had seen Jane with countless women before, but not being so tender and well smitten looking. It was acutely just as embarrassing for them as it was for Jane and Maura. There was clearly something happening between them that they did not know about, but Vince and Barry could see it, even if Vince was clueless when it came to women. They glanced knowingly at each other and made a beeline for the ship room to avoid Jane's wrath.

"Maura has Jane hook, line an' sinker." Barry whispered.

"Oh aye," Vince chuckled, "I've nereseen her like that wi' a lass before."

"Maura's been cookin' fer Jane th' past wee nights, I think something`s goin' on."

"Has she now?" Vince stroked his beard thoughtfully.

"Aye."

Meanwhile Jane was pacing angrily across the small kitchen space, "Damn them two," she muttered.

"Oh God I hope they don't think we…we are…oh Garrett my love," Maura whispered to herself. However, as soon as Jane heard her fiances name along with the endearment she clenched her fists. "They know ye be engaged Maura!" She barked harshly, upsetting her.

"What was that for?"

"You won`t be havin' yer reputation ruined, they know ye`re nay wi' me, that ye be havin' a fiance, so stop worrying." Jane made to leave put Maura stopped her with a hand to the shoulder.

"I am not worried about my reputation!"

Jane swung back around, "Seems that way t' me," She snarled.

Her guard was back up, she had instantly closed herself off to Maura, and she was almost in tears, she did not want to lose the ground they had gained together from a silly misunderstanding. Already she could not bear the hard, solemn mask Jane was showing her. In an effort to reach her Maura cupped her handsome face and made her look to her.

"Jane you must understand it's not my reputation I am worried about, don't shut yourself away, I won't bare it," She whispered.

Jane softened towards her almost immediately but the thought of Garrett made her seethe inside. She was not used to saying sorry because she rarely said it and it rubbed her the wrong way but Maura deserved an apology.

"I'm sorry lass," She spoke gruffly and Maura ran her thumb across Jane's soft cheek, "I am too."

They stared at each others lips and ever so slowly their heads moved closer together and Maura's eyelids began to flutter closed before she realized what was happening and pushed back. Although the rejection stung, Jane grabbed Maura's hand and led her to the ship room.

**J&M**

Tommy had joined them not long after Jane and Maura had gone to the ship room, and they had been playing poker for over an hour, the events of before forgotten. They were all in a good mood and Maura sat between Jane and Tommy learning how to play poker, Jane was winning of course, but Barry was not too far behind and Maura was thoroughly enjoying herself. Even Tommy had surprised them all by so far being completely respectful to Maura and keeping his rude and derogatory comments to himself. Maura thought he was actually behaving like quite the gentleman and found it hard to distinguish him from the horribly, leeching man aboard Spiritus. He helped teach her poker and every now and then would touch her shoulder politely, as much as that peeved Jane she couldn't go off at him for not being a prick. Maura seemed to be investing more of her attention on Tommy and Jane tried not to be bothered by it but failed miserably, it was really starting to get on her nerves that they were enjoying each others company and she tapped her cards impatiently on top the table. Maura laughed at something Tommy said and Jane tensed and growled low in her throat making Vince and Barry glance at each other.

"Tommy, yer go," Vince stated and Tommy threw in his cards.

"I be done, me cards be shit."

They were indeed shit and Jane snorted, "Aye they be shit alright," and they all laughed, even Maura joined in. Jane, Barry and Vince continued to play until Maura, Tommy stood up beside her, and she stiffened.

"Tommy," She warned.

"I be goin' t' dance wi' Maura."

"Like hell ye are," Jane hissed and made it half way out of her chair before Maura put a gentle hand on her forearm.

"It's okay Jane I want to."

Jane glared at her as thought she had been betrayed, her stomach was rioting with a sinking, angry sensation and she nodded briskly and sat back down. Maura squeezed her forearm reassuringly before taking Tommy's arm and he led her to the open space on the floor. Jane watched as he took Maura into his arms, pulled her close and she wrapped her arms around his neck and unbeknownst to her she was crushing her cards in her hand. They started to move around the dance floor, Maura was smiling up at Tommy, and Jane wanted nothing more than to punch her brother square in the face.

"Jane?" Barry spoke getting her attention and she growled when she realized she had bent all her cards. While she fixed them Barry and Vince were looking at each other, Jane was furiously jealous, her eyes were shooting daggers at her brother and they had to find a way to get Tommy to stop dancing with Maura or he was going to be in for it. Jane tried to concentrate on the poker but no matter how hard she tired, she could not ignore the two and kept glancing angrily at her brother but he was blissfully unaware.

"Jane?" Barry said again and she grunted before looking back to the game. Then she heard the off-key notes of Tommy's humming waft towards her and Maura's giggling followed and she flinched in anger, finding it immensely difficult to control herself. Jane skulled her ale to try calm herself before Vince stated casually, "Tommy, come play another round o' poker dasn't ye think that`s enough dancin'?"

"What?" Tommy scoffed, "We be havin' barely begun," and he spun Maura around in a tight circle and she squealed before laughing freely and Jane could not take it any longer. She threw her cards down and knocked the chair flying back against the wall as she stood and stormed right past Tommy and Maura out into the night.

"Jane!" Maura called out to her in shock and worry, "Tommy let me go," she was already pushing at him in earnest and he dropped his arms and she rushed after her.

"Jane?" She called out on the veranda, she did not understand what had happened, why Jane had left so abruptly and angered and she fretted for her.

"Jane, where are you?"

"Come back inside Maura, Jane be long gone," Vince spoke somberly from behind her.

"No, I won't what happened in there?"

Vince had to make something up quickly, "She lost th' game."

Tommy came out to hear the last of what Vince said, "No she didna she won I checked her cards what th' hell be wrong wi' her?"

"Vince help me find her, please."

"I know where she has gone Maura, an' 'tis best ye dasn't follow her."

Maura grabbed his arm, "Please Vince."

"She would be havin' gone t' th' whorehouse"

Maura dropped her hand, as though Vince had bitten her and hung her head, "Oh," was all she whispered softly.

"But why be she angry?" Tommy said and then it hit him, "She`s jealous! Ha! she`s jealous I be dancin' wi' ye Maura," He laughed.

"Shut up Tommy," Vince barked.

_Oh Jane!  
><em>Maura was so confused and out of her element, she didn't know what was going on, if it was true Jane was jealous of her dancing with Tommy she did not understand why. She just wanted Jane to come back home so she could tell her that she wanted Jane to be her friend and not to be jealous. However, Jane did not come home that night and left Maura distressed and bewildered waiting up for her until the early hours of the morning but exhaustion won out and she fell asleep alone and bereft without Jane beside her.


	50. Chapter 50

**Chapter Fifty**

Jane remained away from the village for a few days hunting with Barry and Tommy. They left at the crack of dawn after Jane had spent the night trying to fuck the connection she had to Maura out of her system with another woman. She did not say goodbye to Maura or anyone for that matter, she only went to her house to collect her weapons, traps and clothes she would need. Although when she had quietly entered her room and saw Maura asleep on her side of the bed looking small and fragile she had nearly gone to her. She knew Maura would be worried for her and leaving without seeing her made Jane actually feel guilty. Maura stirred and sighed Jane's name and she left before Maura awoke. She was on edge and disgruntled the whole time she was away hunting for she knew that she had been jealous of Tommy dancing with Maura. But Jane despised jealously and therefore despised the fact that she had been jealous. It was a useless emotion, she prided herself on not being jealous of anyone or anything that was until that night, and now she felt ridiculous for behaving as she had. She did not know what was happening to her but as she hunted through each day and lay awake each night, she couldn't deny she was restless for the sight, sound and smell of Maura, there was something about her that was calming to Jane. This connection between them had come on so fast after they had kissed but she couldn't help but wonder as she gazed up at the billions of stars on their last night hunting if it had been there between them all along. Jane fell asleep knowing she had to apologize to Maura.

**J&M**

Maura sat in the late afternoon sun atop of the cliff side absentmindedly picking flowers and twisting them into her hair. She had been thinking of home, her father and Garrett, Trudy and the girls, but most of all she thought of Jane. It had been three days since she last saw her and Maura missed her terribly, as well as her warmth and protection. There was a compassion and depth to Jane buried deep within her that Maura would have never thought possible, and she didn't understand how she knew this, only that she wanted to draw it out of her. Maura had felt it when she was close to her, in the gentleness she was capable of. Jane was so full of emotion it radiated from her like heat and all Maura wanted to do was explore it. She fascinated Maura as no other had and she found herself questioning why Jane and not someone else? Why did she see what others did not?

Maura had found herself asking Vince more than once if he knew when Jane would return but each time was met with the same answer, he did not know. She had busied herself trying to read, walking with Elsie and baking sugary pastries but it wasn't enough so she began cleaning the house thoroughly and washing the bed linens. Today she had taken Abby and her brothers for a swim in the creek with help from Vince and they had all enjoyed themselves but Jane was still in the back of her mind even when she was busy. She was starting to wonder if Jane would even come home when her hand stilled on a flower she was about to pick. She sensed Jane was close by and glanced behind her quickly only to be disappointed when she saw nothing but the warm glow of the sunset cast along the back of the cottage wall. Breeze off the ocean stirred against her and a parade of goose bumps marched across her skin so she decided to head back to the house. Rising from the cool grass, she patted her backside clean and looked up to find Jane watching her steadily. Her body stilled but her heart rate picked up, threatening to escape her chest. Jane walked towards her and her heart only beat wilder.

_Oh Jane you are finally home!_

Her hair was a tangled mess, her strong face smudged with dirt and blood as were her clothes and she smelt like wild animals but none of it bothered Maura, this was a part of what made Jane who she was, this primitiveness. She was so nervous she did not know what to say, Jane was standing before and her presence was overpowering.

"Maura."

Her voice was a solid rumble of sound and it tingled down Maura's spine.

"Jane," she whispered.

Jane stepped closer and looked down at her before enveloping Maura in her arms. Maura did not resist but only pressed herself further into Jane and nuzzled into her collarbone, breathing in her heady scent. Jane did the same of Maura, her hair smelt like flowers and her own milky, delicate fragrance and Jane groaned inaudibly, wanting to bury her face in the golden waves. But all too soon Jane let go of her and Maura almost whimpered at the loss of her touch.

"How be ye?" Jane asked quietly tiling Maura's chin up.

"Better how are you?"

"Aye better."

Neither asked why they were better, but both knew it was because the other was close.

"What did ye do t' me house?"

"I…I hope you don't mind, I needed something to do."

"I dasn't but ye dasn't need t' clean Maura."

"I know." She whispered.

Jane was aware Maura was waiting for an explanation; that she needed one but she had to skin the animals they had killed and cut the meat up for the village.

"I be havin' t' go an' skin th' animals, I jus' wanted ye t' know I be back."

"How long will that take?"

"A few hours. You can come an' watch but I dasn't think ye will enjoy it."

Maura scrunched her nose and Jane chuckled, "Aye that be what I thought.

Neither knew quite what to say but Maura was so happy Jane was not angry with her. Jane took her back down to the house before she left for the village and Maura wanted to do something to help Jane, as she had also looked tired as well as dirty upon her return. She thought about what she could for a while before an idea came to her. Firstly, she took clean clothing from Jane's wardrobe and laid them out carefully on her side of the bed before lighting the fireplaces in her room and the library. Then she began the tedious task of heating water and filling the bath until it was warm. She spent a good amount of time washing herself before drying and dressing only to empty and repeat the process of filling the bathtub for Jane, but she kept the water boiling on the fireplace, as she did not know when Jane would return. Maura tried to read but she was too anxious waiting for her so she went to the ship room and studied the intricately detailed globe and that is where Jane found her.

She stepped in through the French doors carrying a folded lion skin pelt, "Maura?"

"I am in the ship room," She called softly and Jane quickly hid the pelt under the lounge chair before joining her. She was bent over the globe gently letting her index finger slide across different countries. Jane came up behind her and watched her movements over her shoulder.

"So many different countries all with such diversity and cultures. I have never been outside Boston, until now."

"Do ye want t' set sail anywhere in particular?"

Maura fidgeted nervously with her dress due to Jane's proximity behind her.

"Yes, all over America and Africa, what about you?"

"Hasn`t been many places I haven`t been lass."

Maura turned around and looked up at Jane, there was so many questions she burned to ask her, their lives were so inexplicably different but Maura was afraid to, Jane was very secretive. However, it wasn't the secrecy itself she was scared of but the thought of Jane not wanting to open up to her that made her afraid.

"I need t' clean up."

Maura nodded wordlessly and touched Jane's shoulder before she went to her bedroom to find clean clothes laid out for her and water heated on the fireplace and she stood there unaware of how to proceed. She had not expected this warm gesture; she didn't do domesticity with women. Jane wouldn't let them cook, clean or do anything for her lest they got the wrong idea and become too attached to her, but Maura seemed to be the exception to this rule. Jane thought with confusion that Maura was the exception to many of her rules, and didn't understand why it did not bother her, but made her feel instead warm inside. She took the water from the bedroom and the library before stripping naked and easing her tired body into the bath. There was something intimate about the fact that Maura had prepared this bath for her that set her nerves humming and her stomach aching and she lay back against the tub and savored the new experience knowing full well she could easily stand to come home each night to clean clothes and a warmth bath fixed by Maura.

_What th' flyin' fuck be ye doin' thinkin' about things like that! _

Jane snapped out of her thoughts and moodily cleaned every inch of her three day unwashed body before hopping out and drying herself vigorously and dressing. When she came out of the bathroom, she saw Maura in bed reading but her eyelids were drooping and she was struggling to stay awake. Jane ached from the sight of her and hastily left the room to get the lion pelt from under the lounge chair. She wasn't sure why she wanted to give Maura this pelt but it held special significance for Jane and she hoped that Maura would not be disgusted by her gift. Jane took the heavy pelt into the fire lit room and Maura was dozing with the book atop her breasts. Jane carefully took it from her and she stirred before Jane put the pelt on her and spread it out, covering her completely. Maura open her eyes and Jane waited hesitantly for a response, but she only stared at the lion's thick mane impassively and Jane suddenly felt very foolish.

"'Tis a gift fer ye I thought ye might like 't, but I can be seein' ye dasn't, sorry lass," Jane stood trying to keep the disappointment from her voice and started to fold the pelt but Maura extracted her hand from under the heavy weight and stopped Jane by placing it on her forearm.

"Please don't," She breathed.

Jane stopped, strangely a little nervous and extinguished the lamp before getting into bed and resting an arm behind her head. Maura still was not saying anything and Jane assumed she had gone to sleep.

"Why?" she suddenly asked, surprising her.

"Why what?"

"Why are you giving it to me?" She asked quietly.

"I dasn't know but I'd like ye t' be havin' 't."

Maura remained silent once more, "I know 'tis nay very feminine or nothin', or somethin' a proper lady ortin' ta own, so I understand if ye think 'tis horrible."

"Jane."

"What?"

"No one has given me something so magnificent." She said in awe.

_And coming from you, I already treasure it so._

Jane's heart skipped a beat and a small contented smile appeared. Maura shifted a little closer and turned to face her, "How did he die?" she asked sadly.

"Come here?" She asked in a lower voice than usual and Maura went to her arms without hesitation as Jane dragged the thick heavy pelt over them both.

"I killed him," She stated simply and Maura tensed in her arms and didn't reply. Unconsciously Jane began gently kneading and rubbing Maura's shoulders with the hand that wasn't under her own head.

"I killed him on accoun' o' 't be either him or me."

"Will you tell me about it?" Maura spoke quietly into Jane's collarbone and it was Jane's turn to tense but for different reasons.

_Oh god lass dasn't put yer lips so close t' me skin, I canna concentrate._

Jane took a few moments to try and collect herself before continuing, "I killed th' poor brute a couple o' voyages ago when I be in South Africa. I didna want t' but I had nay choice. Me an' all th' crew be takin' our goods t' sell an' trade wi' th' locals an' this fella here came at me from th' grasses. 'Tis th' females that do th' huntin' but we must been in his territory on accoun' o' he came straight at me lept, an' tackled me t' th' dirt."

Maura gasped and held her a little tighter.

"He dug his claws into me back, I still be havin' th' scars. He went' fer me throat an' fortunate fer me I took ou' me dagger before he came at me. I...I stabbed th' poor guy in th' side over an' over till he got off me an' ran away. But his lung be ruined an' he drowned in his own blood."

Jane grunted and cleared her throat and Maura could tell she was getting emotional and it touched her deeply.

"I nearly died from blood loss, me back be a mess an' 't got infected. I be sick fer months. After 't happened, before I blacked ou' I made Barry go after th' lion an' take his skin, he put up a good fight."

Jane took her hand from behind her head and pulled her shirt from her breaches.

"Take me hand." Maura found her hand under the covers and Jane guided it under her shirt around to her back. Maura gasped not from the ridges of scar tissue but from the heat and firmness of Jane's skin. She gingerly explored the side of her back feeling the muscles shift under her fingers.

"When I be younger I lived wi' a tribe o' Mohicans fer a couple o' years an' they taught me before ye skin any animal ye say Naiwen. Ye respect 't by sayin' thank ye t' 't fer th' food, tools, clothin' an' whatereelse 't will provide ye wi'. I got Barry t' thank this lion on me behalf, we used everythin' we could from him so his death be nay in vein."

Maura hadn't removed her hand from under Jane's shirt and was playing gently over the scars as she listened to her talk. Her deep, raspy voice excited Maura, as did the feel of her skin. However, it was more than just the physical responses Jane brought about in her body; it was the mental and emotional connection she was creating with Jane that excited her the most. Jane had just trusted her enough to share something personal and had given her the pelt of the lion that had almost taken her life. It warmed Maura's heart to hear her tell of the respect she held for each animal and that she didn't hate the lion for what it had only done naturally.

"Would…would I be able to see your scars?" She blurted quietly.

Jane sucked in a breath and Maura knew she had said the wrong thing.

"I'm sorry I shouldn't have asked."

"They nay be pretty."

Jane made to sit up and Maura stopped her, "No Jane you really don't have to."

But Jane stood up and stoked the fire adding another log to it before sitting back down with her back to Maura. Slowly she undid the buttons of her cotton shirt as Maura waited tensely with baited breath until Jane carefully slipped her shirt off tightly bunched, broad shoulders that narrowed to a lean strong waist. Maura's mouth went dry at the sight of her she was magnificent. Her skin glowed golden by the firelight but was lighter than the skin of her arms and face. Maura's hazel eyes fell upon the scars of the lion; he had ripped jagged lines down each side of her from below the shoulder blades to the top of her hipbones. Maura held her breath as she dared to touch Jane's warm skin and felt as well as saw the muscles jump.

"Oh Jane, I don't know what to say."

A tidal wave of emotion enveloped Maura and she wanted to hold Jane in her arms and sooth her, those scars looked painful still, but they were like a badge of honor, as was this lion's pelt spread over her legs. Jane and the lion where forever intertwined. Without conscious thought she lent forward and softly kissed one claw mark and then another. Jane hissed and shuddered and Maura pulled back quickly in shock of what she had done.

"Jane I'm sorry I just, I wasn't thinking. I didn't mean to hurt you."

Jane remained quiet and tense.

"Jane?" Maura questioned nervously.

"No one has eredone that before," She said throatily.

"Jane I'm sorry," she whispered frantically, "I wasn't…"

"Maura."

"Yes," she panicked still highly excited by the sight of Jane's sculptured torso.

_Jane please put your shirt on, I don't understand what's happening to me but if you don t cover yourself, I will kiss every inch of your back._

"Dasn't be sorry."

"But Jane I…"

Maura trailed off as she watched the muscles flex in Jane's back as she covered herself back up then turned sideways on the bed.

"I haven`t let a lass be seein' me back before Maura. Plenty o' them be havin' felt me scars but none be havin' seen them."

Jane lay back down and Maura remained quiet to try to get that revelation to sink in before she too lay down close to Jane and stroked the thick wiry mane under her fingers.

"Jane?"

"Mmm?"

"I am honored you trusted me enough to tell me about your scars and show them to me. Thank you, it means a lot to me."

She lent down timidly and tenderly kissed Jane on her cheek, and the urge to protect this strong independent pirate surged through her veins but she couldn't just take Jane in her arms like that and hold her close, could she? Surely, Jane would pull away so she held her desire to comfort the woman inside.

"I be expectin' ye t' be th' most disgusted by them bein'…"

This astonished Maura, "Being what Jane? Rich? A lady?"

"Aye."  
>Maura tried not to get frustrated at her as she spoke, "My wealth has nothing to do with who I am as a person. It may for others, money may influence their attitude towards people and the world but it does not with me. You should remember that."<p>

She turned onto her back away from Jane, hurt and confused that someone she was starting to care for deeply thought so little of her.

"I be sorry lass I be nay used t' someone like you."

"I don't understand."

"Neither do I, but I be sorry I thought that way."

Her voice was so low Maura thought it possibly couldn't get any lower. She shifted forward once more until she was close enough to feel the heat pouring off Jane.

"Those scars are a part of you Jane, you would not be you without them, they do not disgust me." Maura didn't have any idea if what she was saying helped Jane but she hoped somehow it would.

She desperately wanted to hold her but was even more nervous now that Jane had shared a part of her, she radiated strength and Maura did not think she would need her comforting arms, even though she wanted to give them, she knew with complete clarity she wanted to be a friend to Jane.

"Thank ye," Jane said solemnly, "And I'm sorry fer goin' huntin' without tellin' ye."

"Tommy told me you were jealous, and that's why you left."

"He what!" Jane snarled half rising from the bed.

"So it's true?"

"Aye." Jane hissed and got out of her bed before Maura could stop her.

"Where are you going?" Maura asked worriedly.

"Out." Jane growled.

"Jane please don't go, I can't sleep properly when you're not with me," She divulged.

Jane didn't know what to do, she felt embarrassed and angry with Tommy for being such a clod. What the hell would Maura think of her now knowing the reason she had reacted the way she had. Jane just wanted to leave and get some fresh air but Maura's words made her want to stay. When she asked Jane of something, she was realizing she had a hard time refusing her; she did not want to refuse her comfort if she could give it. The enormity of what she had said and showed Maura was beginning to weigh on her and for the first time in what seemed like eons and Jane was frightened. She was panicked by the swift dominance Maura was gaining over her and her inability to stop it.

Running an impatient hand through her hair, she admitted defeat and went to lye back down.

"Thank you."

"Mmmph."

"Goodnight."

"Nite."

Maura wrestled with the ache to hold Jane until she fell asleep beside her.


	51. Chapter 51

**A BIG thank you to everyone who has liked, followed and reviewed my story, I am glad you are all enjoying the adventure. Just a heads up I have started part two and Casey is being added into the mix but perhaps not in a way you would expect and there will also be additions to Jane's background story i.e her life, more growth between her and Maura and I am not what else yet, whatever my head decides is best lol.**

**Chapter Fifty-One**

An enormous boom of thunder rumbled across the skies at frightened Maura awake and immediately she searched for Jane in the covers, but all she found was the residual warmth from her body.

"Jane?" she called out frantically.

"I be here lass." Jane said after another clap of thunder. She lit a couple of lamps to find Maura untangling herself from the covers and standing up.

"Where are you going?"

"This be goin' t' be a big storm, I be havin' t' do what I can before 't hits, an' that won`t be much longer."

Jane shrugged her leather jacket on and Maura came to stand before her as the wind rattled the windows.

"Please be careful," She murmured with concern shining bright in her eyes.

Jane's mouth hinted at a smile, "Aye lass go back an' lie down," she spoke gruffly. Maura reached up on tippy toes to peck her cheek quickly before going back to bed and she left the room, cheek burning where Maura's lips had just been. She went out into the darkness and howling wind to secure the shutters over each window of the house but the wind was whipping her hair into her face and she snarled in annoyance from not being able to see. The bright lightening and the thunder continued and suddenly the sky was bucketing rain and large hailstones. Jane had only closed half of the shutters before she heard a hailstone smash through one of the windows and then another but she could only go so fast and hailstones flying under the patio broke most of the remaining windows. Jane herself copped a few to her body as she went along and by the end; she was struggling against the immense wind. A bolt of lightning flashed through a tree in the back yard lighting it up like a torch and it smashed into another before falling to the ground in a burning heap. Jane momentarily assessed the danger before she strode down the stairs into the rain and hail, removing her jacket as she went. By now, Maura was out of bed and following the horrible sound she had just heard through the dark house, flashes of lightening illuminating her way until she reached the back door and saw the burning tree on the grass. "Oh no!"

Then lighting lit up the sky briefly and she saw Jane swatting at the fire with her jacket and her heart squeezed in fear as she opened the door and flew out onto the veranda.

"Jane!" she shouted.

Jane turned and saw Maura on the veranda and snarled at her to go back inside but Maura was obstinate and would not leave. She took a step off the veranda and Jane barked at her "No Maura, don't ye dare!" But Maura came anyway out into the stinging rain and painful hailstones, struggling against the wind to get to Jane but she met Maura half way grabbing her upper arms roughly, "God good Maura I told ye t' stay on th' veranda," she hollered over the noise of the storm. Maura looked up to her and Jane could see the fear in her eyes each time the lightening lit up the sky, "I want to help you," she shouted.

"Go back!" Jane roared in anger borne of fear for Maura's safety. However, she would not budge and Jane bellowed in frustration and went to pick her up over her shoulder but a sharp cracking sound ripped through the air and they both looked behind them to see the tree the first one hit falling on top of them. It an instant Jane let go of Maura and pushed her with all her strength and she went stumbling blindly back out of the range of the falling tree. Jane tried to move from under its path but she was not quick enough and Maura screamed her name as the top of the tree fell on Jane's cut leg, busting the stitches open and tearing the wound larger and Jane howled in pain. Maura ran and fell to her knees beside Jane as she groaned in agony and tried to pull herself from under the thick branch.

"Jane oh god Jane," Maura whimpered. She grabbed the branch and pulled as Jane pushed but she wasn't strong enough and Jane wasn't at the right angle to use all her strength. Blood was pouring from her leg and she shouted at Maura, "Go back inside, 'tis nay safe ou' here!"

"Don't you dare tell me what to do Jane Rizzoli! I am going to get help."

"Maura," she half rasped half shouted, "Please go back inside."

Maura was terrified for Jane as she searched for her jacket and continued to get pelted by hail, rain and Jane's rage, "Go back inside damn ye woman!"

Maura ignored her, found her jacket, and ran back to Jane using the sleeves to tie around her upper thigh as best she could.

"I will be back Jane, I will find help." She softly pushed her hair back off her forehead and Jane stilled as Maura kissed her wet skin before rising and running back to the veranda. Her heart throbbed in pain at having to leave Jane under the tree but the quicker she found help Jane would get help. Maura grabbed a pillow off one of the lounge chairs before rushing out the front doors and down out into the savage storm, pillow over her head to protect it from the stones. If she were knocked out while finding help, it would do neither of them any good. Maura slipped and fell in the mud numerous times, got briefly lost and blown over before she reached Barry's house. She was petrified but would not give up on Jane and slammed on the door with all her strength until Barry opened and his face lit up with concern as he saw her.

"Maura what th' hell be ye doin' ou' thar!" Barry tried to pull her inside but Maura pushed him off in annoyance, "No Barry! Jane's in trouble, she's trapped under a tree and we need to help her."

"Fuck! Alright go inside an' wait here, I will go get Frankie an' we will help her. Where be she?"

"She's in the back yard and I am coming with you."

"Now be nay th' time t' duel," he said impatiently but Maura stopped him surprised at the force of her own voice, "Well then don't argue with me! I am coming with!" she flared. Barry was briefly stunned before he nodded to the furious woman and they ran down into the storm to get Frankie. Tommy wasn't there so the three of them stumbled back to Jane's house, Maura between the two until they reached the back yard. Maura ran to Jane and dropped to the ground beside her, gently touching her face. Jane stirred and opened her eyes groggily, "Jane I'm here, it's okay, you will be okay."

Jane coughed as Barry and Frankie grunted and pulled at the tree until they had dragged it enough to be able to get Jane out from under it. Then both of them hauled her up and staggered with her dragging heavily between them, an arm over each their shoulders. Maura ran ahead to the bedroom grabbing a blanket and pillow off the bed before commanding the two to bring Jane to the ship room. She laid the blanket over the table and they sat her on it pushing her back gently.

"Frankie go get me the lion pelt from the bedroom, more lanterns or candles, anything. Barry I want you to bring me whiskey, hot water, a dagger or scissors and all the medical supplies I will need to stitch Jane's leg back up."

Maura was firm and commanding and both of them did what she asked without argument. She looked down to Jane and she was watching her intently through half closed lids. Maura softly stroked her thick wet hair back off her forehead, immensely relieved Jane was no longer out in the savage storm.

"I thought I told ye t' go back inside."

"And I thought I told you not to tell me what to do."

The tension and concern was coiled thickly between them, shining through both their eyes and both Barry and Frankie cleared their throats when they returned, embarrassed as they too felt and saw the connection between the two women. Neither of them had ever seen Jane looking at a woman the way she was looking at Maura in that moment.

Maura found Jane's hand and squeezed it before breaking their gaze and looking to the men.

"Please sit everything down beside Jane there and will one of you go and get her a dry shirt and breaches."

"Aye I will." Barry said solemnly.

"Bring them back in here then both of you please leave and shut the doors, I will come for you if I need you."

Frankie piped up in concern, "Maura be ye sure I mean..."

"Ye heard Maura Frankie, please do as she asks," Jane grated.

They both nodded and left, Barry returning shortly with her clothes. Maura lit lanterns and candles, setting them around the room to brighten it enough to see what she was doing before laying a blanket and the lion pelt over Jane's upper half.

"I will have to cut these breaches."

"Do what ye be havin' t', Anna can make me more."

Maura felt Jane's dark eyes on her as she gently cut down the side of her breaches with the heavy scissors Frankie had found. She slipped her hand under Jane's knee and bent her strong leg enough to pull the wet, bloody material away.

"Oh Jane," she breathed and tears welled in her eyes, her leg was a ghastly mess and it had begun to bruise severely.

"I don't want to touch it any more than I have to, so can you tell me if you think anything's broken?"

"No nothin' be broken but can I please be havin' th' whiskey."

Maura handed it to her and she swallowed a good amount of it before belching softly and handing it back to Maura. Maura dipped some thick padding in hot water and started cleaning around the wound as tenderly as she could before moving in closer. Jane tensed and grunted but remained still as Maura scrupulously cleaned the entire wound before settling in to stitch it closed once more. It required many more stitches than before including internal ones and dawn had come about with the storm still destroying everything as Maura finished. Jane was weary with exhaustion and pain having polished off the rest of the whiskey by the time Maura stood up and stretched her cramped shoulders.

"I'm finished," She stated softly, unable to stop herself from touching Jane's forehead and stroking her fingers through the soft fluffy curls there.

"Thank ye Maura," Jane said warmly already half-asleep from Maura's soothing ministrations.

"You're going to have to let me help you change your clothes, I don't want you getting a cold on top of this," She said trying to keep her nervousness from coming through her voice.

"I can do 't, 'tis okay." Jane made to get up and Maura put an arm around her back to assist her.

"I am a doctor Jane, I have seen many women naked, your body is no different now stop being petulant and let me help you", she stated in what she hoped sounded like a casual way. The truth was Jane's body was no different from any other females but it was unlike any Maura had ever seen from the parts of it she had glimpsed.

"God dammit yer a stubborn lass," Jane muttered in frustration, "And I be nay bein' petulant."

"Well seeing you aren't you will let me help you then," Maura stated brusquely although she was a riot of nerves inside.

"Alright," Jane grunted although she too was uncommonly nervous about taking her clothes off in front on Maura.

_The hell be wrong wi' me? I ain`t never nervous takin' me clothes off in fore o' lasses._

She managed to keep her hands from shaking as she undid the buttons of her shirt and Maura's soft hands brushed over her shoulders as she helped draw it off her. Then she undid the buttons at each wrist and pulled it off completely. Maura was behind Jane and her heart was practically pounding from her chest, she could see Jane's back much better in this light and the urge to run her hands over every inch was strong, her thick hair tangled down between her shoulder blades and Maura was losing her concentration already.

"Spin around and put your feet on the floor." She heard herself say but it seemed as though her voice was far away. Jane stiffened and moved gingerly to do as Maura requested and as soon as Maura saw the front of her she sucked in a quick breath and turned her head away, she was just magnificent. Jane lent against the table on shaky legs keeping most her weight on the undamaged one.

"Now what?" She growled deeply, she too trying to keep the unevenness from her voice.

_Oh good Lord this was a bad idea, she's more beautiful than I thought she would be._

Maura turned her head slowly keeping her eye level lower than Jane's breasts but that didn't help either because Jane's stomach and lean waist was just as enticing, and Maura was so nervous as she gazed upon her thick abdominal muscles she felt weak with it and could not get her hands to move. Jane was having the same problem, she felt enveloped in Maura's heady perusal of her and had not in any way felt this exposed and undone by a woman's scrutiny of her.

"Maura," she managed to get out of her tight throat.

Maura jumped and blushed, "Um…your….you will need to take off…off your breaches."

Jane's jaw tightened painfully as she undid her belt, took it off and pushed her breaches over her hips in one apprehensive movement. She lent waiting for Maura to turn to her with weakened limbs and goose bumps covering her skin.

_I must be comin' down wi' a fever, I feel delirious._

Maura finally turned to face her but Jane ferociously wished as soon as she had that she would turn back around.

"Oh God," Maura croaked. All her nerves hummed with life at the sight of Jane completely nude and powerful before her. Her breath came in short gasps and her brain felt foggy and sluggish, she could not concentrate on anything but the beauty and strength in front of her. Her cheeks were on fire as she moved towards Jane and bent down before her, keeping her eyes strictly on the floor.

"Do ye always blush when ye be seein' yer patients?"

"No," Maura said barely above a whisper as she lifted Jane's feet from her breaches and stood, moving away from her heat as quickly as possible. She swallowed heavily and bent back down and Jane stepped into her dry breaches.

"Why be ye blushin' then?" Jane said her voice thick with an emotion Maura did not understand.

"I don't…don't know." She kept her eyes fully averted and stood once more; going to find the thick wrapping to cover Jane's wound. She came back and stood in front of Jane but could not bring herself to look at her.

"Jane?" she whispered nervously.

"'Tis okay I will do 't." She took the pad from Maura and secured it firmly in place over her wound before wrapping it.

"I be done."

Maura bent quickly to pull Jane's breaches up high enough for her to grab them and pull them up the rest of the way. Jane closed them, put her belt back on and Maura was on her feet grabbing her dry shirt. Jane put it on herself and left it hanging out of her breaches.

"Maura?"

Jane sat watching her as she cleaned up but her eyes were full of unushed tears.

"What be th' matter?" She asked seriously.

"Nothing, I will go get Barry and Frankie to help you to your bed," She said hastily before leaving Jane to brood moodily until they came to take help her to her room.

"Where be Maura?"

"She be in th' kitchen."

"Ask her t' come here I need t' talk t' her, an' dasn't disturb us."

"Aye," They both said, "And thank ye fer helpin' me."

"Aye", they said again quietly before leaving, Barry going to get Maura. She came in a little while later with two cups of tea and toast for them, Barry behind her bringing the covers and pelt back before leaving. Maura gave Jane her breakfast and went to change her dress for a dry one in the bathroom before returning to the bedroom. They both ate in awkward silence


End file.
